Midnight Run
by hunter-liza
Summary: Hermione returns to Hogwarts after the war to become the new Charms Professor...A romance is formed, a stalker revealed, and maybe some true love found...
1. Muggle Exercise

A/N: I own nothing and I am making no money off of this.  
This is my first fic so please be kind; any reviews would be much appreciated! (No flames please) Also if anyone would like to beta for me, shoot me an e-mail and we can set something up :)  
Enjoy!

She tossed and turned on the bed with the futile hope that sleep would claim her and yet sleep was the one thing that eluded her. Her thoughts would not be still and she was so tense that it was a wonder she could even be lying down. Her first day of teaching would begin with the rising of the sun and Hermione was nervous. She had been through a war with Voldemort for goodness sakes and yet the idea of teaching a room full of young children was daunting. She knew her subject well and had prepared an excellent lesson for the first week of classes and yet she was still unable to fall asleep.

She sat up and decided that if she wasn't going to be able to sleep then she might as well do something useful. She climbed out of her four poster bed, stripped off her night things and put on a pair of black Muggle yoga pants and a matching athletic top. She tied her curly hair in a loose pony tail at the nape of her neck and donned her favorite pair of running shoes. If she couldn't fall asleep the natural way then she would just have to beat her body into submission. She was already feeling better as she secured her wand to her calf and made her way out of her private quarters.

She was surprised to find that there were no students out of bed at the late hour, as it was the first night in a new place for most of them. Of course it was after one o'clock in the morning and not everyone was as anxious as she. She left the castle and stepped out into the warm night air. It was still seasonably warm for September and Hermione was glad of the warmth. It helped to soothe her as she began her warm-up stretches. She started with her arms and worked her way down her body. She shook her hands a few times and started at a slow jog around the castle. She followed the stone path that encircled the school and it wasn't long before she worked up a well deserved sweat. Hermione controlled her breathing and started to run faster, spurred on by the feeling of freedom that often came with a rush of adrenaline and endorphins.

One lap around the school was at least four miles and Hermione was sweating profusely and breathing hard by the time she rounded the last corner of the castle. She pushed herself harder than ever to complete the last few feet when she was suddenly wrenched off the path by a pair of very strong hands. She landed with a thump against a very male chest and the small amount of air that occupied her lungs was pushed out with a whoosh.

"What the bloody hell?" Hermione pushed a few tendrils of hair out of her eyes and looked up to glare at the person who had interrupted her nightly run. Her chestnut eyes collided with none other than the infamous Severus Snape. He was glaring at her and his wand was slightly raised as if he were about to hex someone; Hermione hoped that it wouldn't be her. She was still breathing heavily and the close proximity to her former Potions master did nothing to slow her rapid heartbeat. "I say again, what are you doing grabbing me like that? What right have you?" Hermione's voice was quiet despite the anger that filled her.

"Be quiet, girl!" Severus hissed through clenched teeth.

"Why? Who would hear us, we are outside." She decided not to correct his term of 'girl' as she was now also a professor at Hogwarts. Severus gave her one of his best glares that would have once intimidated her.

"Then what were you running away from at this late hour?" His voice was silky smooth and yet filled with his famous sneer. Hermione laughed, stepped away from Snape and put some much needed distance between herself and the Potions master.

"My dear Professor, I was merely out expelling some energy. I was restless and could not spend another minute confined in my chambers." She smiled. "I just needed some night air." Snape arched a brow at her and wondered what she was really doing outside dressed…like that. He found himself swallowing hard as he looked at her fully for the first time.

Her curly hair was pulled back from her face, yet a few stray strands escaped to be plastered to her neck. She was dressed in stretchy pants that accentuated every curve of her lower body, and her top was cut so low across her breasts that it seemed she would spill out of the tight top at any moment. Her chest was coated in a fine layer of sweat and Severus had to swallow hard a few times to get himself under control. She was no longer a child, hadn't been for quite some time. He wondered why it had taken him so long to notice how much she had really changed. His facial expression must have softened because suddenly Hermione was no longer angry. He could sense her mood shift right away; it took him by surprise to notice that she was now looking at him with a keen interest.

He wondered briefly what she saw in him and just as hope began to well up in his chest, she took a step towards him as if she were drawn to him. Snape shook his head slightly to clear his suddenly foggy mind and carefully schooled his features. He wasn't sure what had just happened between the two of them but he was not ready to find out just yet. His voice was a bit hard when he finally broke the silence between them.

"Miss Granger, you should go back to your quarters. The chill night air does not suit you; you should know better than to traipse around the castle at night." A sneer crossed his face when she laughed. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound and Severus was further confused by the girl…woman…

"Oh, Professor, if anyone should be accustomed to 'traipsing' around the castle at night then it would be me. You needn't worry about me." Her eyes seemed to dance with mirth. "I am a big girl. I can take care of myself." With that said, she turned away from him for a cool down run.

It took Severus a moment to regain his bearings before he turned on his heel to return to the castle. He looked over his shoulder one last time to see Hermione stretching her arms over her head and then roll her spine down so she was bent over with her legs apart and her arse in the air. Severus groaned inwardly and decided that a very cold shower was in order.

Hermione couldn't believe what had just happened. She had stood in front of Severus Snape, in clothing that was much too revealing and wishing that he would touch her. The feel of him was burned into her very skin, from the first time that he took her into his arms; never mind that he thought that he was protecting her and that there was nothing sexual about the embrace. And still Hermione couldn't get it out of her mind.

"Stop it! He is still the same Snape who hated Harry and Ron…and thought that I was nothing more than a bushy haired know-it-all."

While he hadn't been as cruel to her since she had taken the position of Charms professor, he hadn't been friendly either. What else was to be expected from Severus Snape? Hermione decided to banish all thoughts of Severus from her mind as she began her cool down stretches to ease her overworked muscles.

She never noticed the pair of black eyes that watched her for a mere moment, but they were soon gone.


	2. An Evening Alone

A/N: I own nothing and am making no money off of this little fic.

Here is chapter 2! Please read and review because reviews are food for starving authors!

Enjoy!

* * *

Hermione collapsed onto the sofa in her sitting room and absentmindedly began to unbutton her teaching robes. All she wanted was a glass of wine and a hot bath and nothing would deter her from getting both. Her nimble fingers sought out the pins that held her hair in a classic bun; she sighed in relief when her hair was finally free from its confinement. The bun was practical for teaching Charms and yet it was so damn uncomfortable that she had to wonder how Minerva did it every day.

It was Friday; the first week of class was finally over. Hermione had no idea how strenuous teaching could be when she first took the job, but felt exhilarated to know that she was able to shape young minds and fill them with knowledge. That thought alone got her through the week in one piece.

She sighed and slowly peeled herself off the couch to make her way into her bedroom. Her teaching robes fell to the floor in a heap and it wasn't long before the rest of her clothing followed suit.

She walked into her spacious bathroom, drew a bath, casting a warming charm to keep the water hot, Summoned a bottle of wine and settled herself into the warm, fragrant water. Hermione sighed with the pure pleasure of it. Nothing could compare to a hot bath after a strenuous week of work. All of her muscles relaxed; the knots in her back slowly unwinding to leave her blissfully content.

She sipped her wine, a deep red Merlot, and marveled at the mind numbing effects that one glass could have on her. Soon Hermione felt her mind begin to wander. It was not uncommon of her to daydream and she soon drifted back to the night when she encountered Severus Snape. She still wondered at her body's reaction to the man, and she had to admit that while he was not conventionally handsome, he certainly had…something about him that just oozed sensuality. She shuddered, despite the warm water, at the mere thought of the man.

Suddenly, Hermione's eyes flew open; she could not be attracted to Snape! Correction, she wouldn't be attracted to him. There was nothing about him that was even remotely attractive. He avoided her all week, which was not surprising after his reaction that night; but it still confused her to no end. Was he attracted to her as well?

"No!" Hermione jumped at the sound of her own voice as it resonated through the bathroom. She drew some much needed air into her lungs and tried to reason through her feelings. She was a grown woman after all; she could control her feelings. It was simply the wine that was making her think those things about Snape, nothing more.

Hermione vowed to push all thoughts of Snape out of her mind. With that new resolve, she settled back into the warm water, conjured up some frothy bubbles and enjoyed the rest of her wine. It wasn't long before more than half the bottle was gone and Hermione was feeling quite giddy and relaxed. She drew lazy patterns in the water and pulled more fragrant bubbles towards her chest. She watched in fascination as the pink and white bubbles disintegrated and popped against her flushed skin.

Her hand slowly came out of the water to rest on her chest. Her skin was silky smooth as she slid her hand over her breasts, over her stomach and further down until she reached her desired location. Hermione closed her eyes and she began to swirl her fingers over her own super sensitive flesh. She moaned softly when her index finger came in contact with her clit. The pleasure was divine; the combination of the wine and thoughts of a dark and mysterious man whirling around in her head caused heat to surge deep in her belly.

Hermione raked her nails up the insides of her thighs and once again attacked her womanhood with nimble and searching fingers. She moaned when she slipped a finger inside of her aching core. The friction was sublime as she stroked her clit with the pad of her thumb. She began to pant as her climax came closer and closer. The stress of her week melted away as her orgasm raced through her body and a single name fell from her lips.

"Oh…Severus!"

Hermione was just drunk enough on both her climax and the wine that she didn't realize whose name she called out as she climaxed.

It was a few moments before Hermione's heartbeat slowed to a normal pace and she was able to pull herself out of the large tub. Her body was completely replete and slightly tingly as she stepped onto the cool tile floor of the bathroom. She Summoned a fluffy terry cloth towel from the wall rack and patted herself dry. She smiled to herself as she walked in front of her full length mirror. Her skin was tinted pink from the warm water and her hair framed her face in a mass of damp curls.

Hermione was not a vain woman, but there were times when she wanted to pamper herself and tonight was such a night. It wasn't every night that she just felt this sexy, so she decided to roll with it. She dismissed the skin softening charm that she usually used and reverted back to the Muggle way of achieving soft skin.

Hermione walked into her bedroom and opened her trunk that was still filled with books and odds and ends. She soon found the bag of cosmetics that she had thrown into the trunk at the last minute. She was very glad she had decided to pack it as she pulled out her favorite scented body lotion - Blackberry and Tonka Bean. She inhaled the scent and began to liberally spread it over her legs, stomach and arms. She ran a hand up her leg and marveled at the smooth expanse of her own skin. She was soon satisfied with the results and she donned a deep purple silk dressing gown, picked out one of her favorite novels, and settled back onto the sofa to read.

With a flick of her wand, a fire sprang to life in the fireplace, instantly warming the room, and Hermione enveloped herself within the plot of the novel. An hour and a half flew by before she felt her eyes begin to droop and her head fell back against the couch. She was not aware of her portrait door being opened and then softly closed again; she was not aware of the dark man that materialized behind her sofa or of the longing and desire that lept into his eyes. She was not aware of his soft fingers as they threaded through her long hair or as they trailed down her cheek.

Hermione suddenly awoke to the strange feeling that she was being watched. After a quick glance around her sitting room she proved to herself that she was the only one in the room. She blamed the wine and her overactive imagination on the feeling and thought nothing more of it. She stood from the sofa, stretched her tired limbs and made her way into her bedroom once more. She let the dressing gown fall to the floor, climbed into bed and fell into a deep sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	3. A Decision is Made

A/N: I own nothing and am making no money off of this little fic…

* * *

Severus stormed into his quarters and roughly slammed the portrait door shut. The sound of wood on wood smashing together reverberated through his small sitting room. There was a quiet grunt of protest from the wizard who inhabited the portrait but Severus paid him no mind.

He couldn't believe that he had just done that!

Idiot!

It was true; he had felt something for Hermione that night. It was a foreign feeling and one that he couldn't quite put his finger on right away, but after much angst and denial he knew that what he felt was desire. He could admit that to himself now, but to stoop so low as to walk all the way to her quarters to see her was utterly insane and completely out of character for him.

He was not a lovesick young boy anymore. Dropping everything to see a woman was not something that Severus Snape did.

Severus strode across his sitting room to pour himself a liberal dose of whiskey. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit this week. He tossed the drink back and felt it burn all the way down his throat. That was sure to banish the image of Hermione letting another man into her quarters.

"Damn it!"

He spent the entire week fantasizing about the witch in her tight little running outfit and just when he couldn't take it anymore, he found out that she was seeing someone else.

Fool!

What the hell was she playing at? She seemed interested in him that night; had even moved closer to him with a slightly glazed look in her dark eyes. Severus could have sworn that what he saw in her eyes was desire. What a fool he had been.

He poured himself another drink and sipped it slowly. He felt the alcohol slide into the pit of his stomach. Usually, the warmth of the whiskey spread through his middle and became a soother to help him relax but tonight he would have no such luck. The sight of another man walking into Hermione's quarters was sure to haunt him all night.

There could be only one reason why someone would sneak through the castle so late at night. Either it was a student out of bed, unlikely since Hermione was as professional as they come, or she had invited someone to "visit" her at the castle. Severus was inclined to think it was the latter. A groan of frustration escaped his lips and Severus realized just how pathetic he was being.

He had been a Death Eater, a spy, and a puppet for the two most powerful wizards of his time and he was sitting in his quarters pining after a woman who probably didn't even want him in the first place. He raked a hand through his straight black hair and moved across the room to the oversized armchair that sat in front of the fireplace. He plopped down into the softness of the chair and, with a wave of his calloused hand, a fire sprang to life in the hearth.

Severus stared into the dancing orange and yellow flames and contemplated his next move. He wanted Hermione Granger. That much, at least, was clear to him. The question now was how to get her. He was a Slytherin after all, and Slytherins always got what they wanted. A small smile threatened to break across his face as he thought about stealing Hermione away from her current beau.

He had heard a rumor going around that she had been with the Weasley boy…Ron. Severus inwardly shuddered at the thought of Hermione wasting her time with that dunderhead. He sincerely hoped that those rumors were false. There could be no possible way that she could be satisfied with that slip of a boy. He wasn't nearly intelligent enough for her and would surely bore her after a while.

He swirled what was left of his drink around in the crystal glass and contemplated the best way to snare the attentions of the current Charms professor. He had to be subtle at first to properly gauge her reaction to him. He wanted her, yes, but he didn't want to force her into anything. He wanted a willing partner and Severus was willing to wait for her to realize that he was the perfect man for her.

And he was the perfect man for her. They could have intelligent conversations about any number of topics for they certainly had many common interests. The thought of getting into a heated argument with the woman made him hard. He could picture her flushed with passion, much like she had been after her midnight run.

Her eyes would flash and her chest would heave with each breath, which would cause Severus's eyes to be drawn to that particular part of her anatomy. She was so beautiful when she got all worked up over something.

He could recall watching her teach a particularly difficult Charms lesson with gusto the likes of which Flitwick never managed. Severus had been walking through the corridor on the way to the dungeons when he passed her open classroom door. He had stayed in the shadows for he didn't want any of the students to see him scrutinizing the Charms professor.

Her cheeks were tinted pink, her hair had come loose from the tight bun at the nape of her neck and the graceful movement of her wand arm caused her robes to flow with her body, making the material show off her womanly curves. It was certainly a sight to see. If she could get so worked up over a charm, then how would she react if under the ministrations of the Potions master?

The thought was simply too tempting not to fantasize about. Severus had quickly made his way back to the privacy of his quarters to properly fantasize about Hermione. That had happened almost three days ago and Severus was having a hard time concentrating in class. He found that he took more house points than were completely necessary during his Potions lessons because he could not deal with incompetent students with a raging hard-on. He was just a man, for Merlin's sake!

He simply had to find a way to break the ice to reintegrate himself, as more than a professor or colleague, into her life. It wouldn't be easy, especially after the past week, but Severus was determined.

A plan formed in his mind and Severus Summoned his quill and a piece of parchment. Before he could change his mind, he wrote a short letter.

_Hermione,__  
__If you are agreeable, I would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience. There is something that I wish to discuss with you; perhaps over tea in the Staff Room? __  
__Sincerely,__  
__S.S_

The letter was sure to confuse her as to what his intentions were. He had been intentionally vague as to what he wished to speak with her about; he couldn't very well say that he wanted to shag her up against the wall but this was only step one. Severus smiled as he pictured the confused look on the witch's face as she read his letter. He hoped that she would meet with him so he could put the rest of his plan into action.

There wasn't much chance of her refusing to meet with him. The woman was curious by nature so she would meet with him just to try and figure out what he was up to. She would play right into his hands.

Satisfied that he now had a plan of action, Severus thought that he would finally be able to get some sleep. He stood from his chair and made his way into his bedroom; the lights diminished with a simple, "Nox."

* * *

Pale rays of sunshine streamed through the wide windows into Hermione's small bedroom. The small amount of light served as an adequate alarm clock and Hermione slowly opened her eyes. It took a moment for the cobwebs of sleep to disintegrate into the recesses of her tired mind. She couldn't believe that it was morning already. She felt as if she had only just fallen asleep.

With a groan she pulled her warm sheets up over her head and tried to go back to sleep. It was Saturday; there was no impending need for her to get out of bed and make an appearance. However, there were first year essays to grade and an exam to write up for her advanced Charms students. Now that she was awake there would be no way to still her overactive mind. There was always something that needed to be done.

She wished that she had the ability to push her duties to the back of her mind, like Harry and Ron always did, but she was never one to procrastinate.

"Might as well just get my work done so I'll have the rest of the day to do whatever I want."

She sighed and kicked the sheet away from her warm body; the cool morning air served to fully awaken her. She then rolled onto her stomach to get a better look at her bedside clock when she noticed something that was not there the night before. A single black rose in a thin crystal vase stood on her nightstand, obscuring her alarm clock. Hermione blinked a couple times to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating…no, the rose was really there.

She leaned across her bed to retrieve her discarded robe before she more closely inspected her newly acquired "gift." The flower looked harmless enough and after a few dark spell detections she reasoned that it was just a flower. But however did it get into her room, and why had she not heard anyone enter her chambers? Surely her wards would have alerted her to someone's presence and her door was password protected.

"Holy Merlin!" She had completely forgotten about the unease she had felt when she awoke after falling asleep on the sofa. She had felt that there was someone else in the room, but there was no one to be seen. Her quarters were not large enough to hide in, with only the sitting room, bedroom and bathroom, so how did they get past her?

She sat on the edge of her bed and stared at the flower for a full five minutes until a loud tapping at the window jerked her out of her musings. She looked towards her window and saw a large owl perched on her windowsill. She slowly stood and made her way over to the window. The owl waited patiently as Hermione opened the window and took the letter that was strapped to its outstretched leg.

The mysterious flower flew out of her mind as she read the short letter from none other than Severus Snape. Hermione blushed hotly as she recalled her thoughts about the man from the previous night. Her face flushed crimson as she vaguely recalled whose name she called out in the throes of her climax. He always seemed to have the worst timing.

She quickly scanned the letter and began to bite her lower lip in utter confusion. He had addressed her by her first name…what was his game?

"This man will never cease to confuse me," she muttered to herself.

He wanted to meet with her? What on earth could he want to discuss with her? He couldn't possibly know what had been running through her mind, yet the man was very advanced at Occlumency so she couldn't rule it out. Deciding that there was only one way to find out what the man wanted, Hermione shook her head and penned a quick response.

_Severus,__  
__Yes, I would be glad to meet with you. Would this evening be early enough?__  
__H. G_

She rolled the parchment back up, attached it to the waiting owl's leg and watched as it flew off. She ran her fingers through her tangled hair, wondering what else could possibly happen today. It wasn't even 9:00 a.m. and already she had a mysterious flower and an even more mysterious note from Snape.

She wondered if she should go to Minerva with her suspicion about the flower when she realized that someone could have told a house-elf bring the flower into her room. Hermione breathed a sigh a relief as she considered that option. She only hoped that she was correct for she was unharmed and if someone truly wanted to break into her room it could hardly be because they just wanted to give her a flower.

With that new thought, she tossed one last look at her gift and started to get ready for the day.

* * *

A/N: For those of you who suspected Severus of stalker behavior, rest assured that he has done no such thing :) Please review! Reviews are food for starving authors!


	4. Enticing Dreams

A/N: I own nothing and I am making zero dollars off of this little fic :(

Enjoy!

* * *

_The wind howled outside like a ferocious banshee and the rain pounded on the glass window with fervor. Every so often a flash of white lightning would light up the night sky, only to be followed by a boom of thunder so forceful, the windows would shake. _

_Hermione sat at her dressing table idly brushing her long chestnut colored hair. Her reflection in the mirror was lit by a single candle that stood on her vanity and the soft golden flame served to illuminate her features. Her dark hair was highlighted by the pale light of the candle making her look young and innocent again._

_Hermione was far from innocent anymore. Her whole life was filled with deceit, from stealing potions ingredients to impersonating Ministry employees to gather secret and undisclosed information. Her most grievous offence was, however, her hidden desire for a certain man. _

_Her mind was overflowing with thoughts of that man. He was dark and mysterious, strong and brave, and completely forbidden to the likes of her. Oh, but what a thrill it was to fantasize about him. _

_Hermione had imagined so many times what it would be like if they were to truly make love. She knew that it was wrong and her friends and colleagues would never understand, but that is what made her desire so potent. _

_She was so distracted by her own thoughts that she never noticed the door to her chambers being opened and then softly closed again. She jumped slightly when a deep and melodious voice permeated the silence of her bedroom._

_"Now this is what every man should dream of going to bed with every night. My dark haired angel." He sauntered over to her, all the while holding her ardent gaze in the reflection of the mirror. His hands were warm as he laid them on her semi-bare shoulders. Hermione could see the spark of desire in his eyes as he took in her nightgown. _

_It was made of the finest green silk. The thin shoulder straps were tied in small bows at the top of her shoulders and the neckline was cut so low that it barely covered her full breasts. The lightweight material fell to the floor, caressing her smooth body and showing off her womanly curves. It was a most fetching garment, and one that Severus Snape was enjoying immensely. _

_He slowly began to caress her shoulders and Hermione was amazed at her body's response to the man's slightest touch. She could feel her nipples harden and press against the thin fabric of her gown. The thunder rumbled outside and the rain continued to beat against the windows. Both Severus and Hermione were oblivious to the raging storm outside._

_"You have beautiful skin, my pet. Do you look this creamy all over?" His skillful hands charted a course down her chest, leaving a burning trail on her fevered skin, until he reached his desired location. He sighed in pleasure as he felt her nipples harden against the palm of his hand. He began to knead her soft flesh and he marveled at how responsive she was. _

_Hermione's eyes slid closed and the hairbrush, that she had been holding, slipped from her limp fingers. She was finding it increasingly harder and harder to breathe as his hands liberally roamed over her body. Her neck gave way and collided with Severus's front with a soft thud. As he continued his slow torture on her breasts, she ground the back of her head into the hard plane of his stomach. Never before had she felt such intense pleasure._

_"Severus…" Her voice was only a faint whisper which could barely be heard over the roar of the storm. This was what she had wanted and needed for so long. The fact that Severus was forbidden to her made the pleasure even more divine. She was Eve tasting the forbidden fruit, and it was delicious; she wanted more. _

_Suddenly, Severus grasped Hermione's upper arms and pulled her to her feet. In one smooth motion he whirled her around to face him. With his index finger, he tipped her face up to meet his gaze. Hermione gasped when she saw the raw desire that filled his eyes. It was so powerful that she turned her head away for a moment; it was too much to take in. No one had ever desired her the way that Severus clearly did._

_Hermione could feel her own desire for the man welling up deep in her belly and she once more looked into his eyes. She was rewarded by his small smile of triumph. He moved his hands from her arms up to where her gown was haphazardly tied. It didn't take much for his nimble fingers to loosen the knots that held her gown in place. _

_Before she knew it, her gown was pooled around her dainty feet and she was completely bare to his heated gaze. Her body warmed further as she watched his eyes grow a shade darker with lust. His voice was hoarse when next he spoke._

_"You are beautiful." Her body hummed at those softly spoken words only to sing when he pulled her into his arms and roughly kissed her. He plundered her mouth, thrusting his sensual tongue past the seam of her lips to claim her as his. He branded her with his kiss, ruining her to all other men who dared to kiss her. _

_He moved his lips to her succulent throat and their heat seared the tender flesh that he encountered. His lips travelled lower still and when he finally took her swollen nipple into his mouth, Hermione gasped as the pleasure ripped through her like wildfire._

_"You will be mine…say you are mine!" Her mouth was dry and she couldn't seem to get any coherent words out. He shook her slightly and demanded once more that she admit she was his._

_"I am yours." The words were barely more than a croak, but they were what he wanted to hear. He again claimed her mouth in a searing kiss while carrying her over to the large king-sized bed that graced her bedroom. Gently, he laid her on her back and then he stepped just out of her reach. Hermione watched in fascination as he began to peel his white linen shirt from his lean, muscled body. _

_Her eyes grew wide with desire as his long fingers worked his belt buckle free and his trousers dropped to the floor. When he was down to just his boxers, she reached out her hand beckoning him to come to her and relieve the fire in her aching core._

_"Take me, Severus, I am yours. Take me…"_

A flash of lightning lit up Hermione's chambers and she awoke with a start only to be terrified when the inevitable boom of thunder followed. Her hand flew to her throat to feel her rapid heartbeat as she slowly began to realize that she had fallen asleep at her desk.

She was drenched in sweat, her heart was beating erratically and her skin felt flushed, almost sensitive to the touch. Hermione closed her eyes and immediately the image of her dream flashed before her eyes. There was no denying the power of her dream any longer.

Hermione Granger wanted Severus Snape. It was outrageous and completely wrong for her to desire the man. He was her former professor and now they were colleagues; any kind of relationship between the two of them would be frowned upon by both the staff and the rest of the Wizarding world. Not to mention the fact that the man was snarky, distant and altogether rude most of the time. She could surely find a man who was closer to her age and she could surely find one that didn't have as much baggage as Severus did.

"But I want him anyways." Hermione startled herself by speaking aloud, but the quiet words she had spoken were the truth. She didn't care if she was looked down upon for wanting a former Death Eater and spy. If it made her happy to ensnare the attentions of the Potions master, then by gods she would ensnare him to the best of her ability.

She looked up at the clock that hung on the wall opposite her desk, realizing that she had missed dinner and that the hour was later than she had expected. Lightning lit up her office once again and the loud crack of thunder spurred her into motion. She was supposed to meet Severus for tea after dinner.

He probably thought that she had forgotten about him and now her plans to win him over would be dashed. Hermione knew that he valued punctuality and now she was going to be late.

"Good start, Hermione," she muttered to herself.

She hastily gathered up her grading materials, closed and warded her office and almost broke into a run to get back to her quarters.

She had just about reached her portrait door when she bumped into a very solid chest. Her first years' essays went flying through the air as Hermione landed quite unceremoniously on her rump. She looked up in anger at the man who caused her to make a fool of herself only to be shocked as he quickly reached down a hand to help her back up. The man really did have the worst timing. Hermione never expected Severus to be the chivalrous type, but nevertheless she was pleasantly surprised by it.

It seemed as if there were many layers to the man behind the billowing black robes.

"Severus, I'm so sorry. I didn't see you there; I was in quite a rush, you see, to get back to my rooms to change before meeting you. I didn't forget about meeting you, I promise." The words were rushed out and Hermione cursed herself for sounding like a schoolgirl making excuses for being out of bed past curfew.

She realized that she was still holding his hand and she quickly pulled her hand away as if she had been burned. Her dream was still fresh in her mind and it would do no good if she were to jump him in the hallway.

_Get a grip, Granger!_

Severus merely cocked an eyebrow at her and took in her disheveled appearance. Her hair had been pulled into a loose braid down her back with a few soft tendrils framing her face, the sleeves of her light green jumper had been pushed up to her elbows and Severus could see the stain of ink on a few of her delicate fingers. Her Muggle jeans fit her, almost too well, and he found himself admiring the way that the material clung to her slender thighs.

She must have caught him staring for she quirked her own eyebrow at him.

"I didn't mean to get in your way, Hermione." She let out a small laugh as she began to gather up her scattered papers. His voice was going straight to her head, making her feel slightly dizzy with longing. "I have to admit, though, that I thought you had forgotten about our meeting. I was on my way up to make sure that you were alright, seeing as how you missed dinner." Hermione smiled at the man's thoughtfulness.

"That was kind of you. I am slightly embarrassed to say that I fell asleep at my desk while grading my first years' essays. I didn't get enough sleep last night, I guess." She blushed slightly at that last remark as she remembered her dream about Severus making passionate love to her.

Severus, however, tensed up at her last remark. He was trying not to think about the reason for Hermione's loss of sleep and instead decided to switch topics.

"Yes, well…now that I know you are still alive, would you care to take tea in your quarters? It would be more convenient than walking all the way back down to the Staff Room." He waited with anticipation at her response as he helped her to collect the strewn about papers. The thought of being in close quarters, alone, with the witch was arousing on many different levels.

Hermione's hands stilled as she processed what Severus had just proposed. Did she want him to come into her rooms? Did she want things to move quickly between them? Did he only want to talk or was he expecting something more? There was a pleasant ache in her lower abdomen as she remembered how he had held her the night she ran into him outside the castle. His long fingers had curled around her upper arms, much like they had in her dream, and made her feel lightheaded and weak.

She wondered if he had felt the same stirrings for her. She smiled a saucy smile and decided that there was only one way to find out. Gathering all of her Gryffindor courage, she looked into his black eyes and said, "Of course we can have tea in my rooms."

She reached out her free hand to take the papers that Severus held. Once she had everything in order, she walked over to the portrait door, quietly said the password and waited for the door to open. She could feel the presence of the Potions master behind her as the door swung open and they both stepped inside her comfortable sitting room.

Hermione was just about to turn and tell him to make himself at home when she noticed another flower resting on her end table.

"What on earth?" She dropped the stack of essays onto her small dining table and made her way across the sitting room to where the single black rose lay. It was almost identical to the one she had received that morning. Where were those blasted things coming from? She picked up the fresh bloom, sans the crystal vase, and noticed that there was a note sitting underneath the rose.

She jumped slightly when Severus suddenly appeared beside her and took the rose from her cold fingers.

"A gift from your boyfriend, no doubt. He has interesting taste…why a black rose?" His voice was full of sarcasm and obvious disdain.

It took a moment for Hermione to find her voice. She was too stunned by the reappearance of her "admirer." She thought the previous rose had been a silly prank from Harry or Ron. Obviously she had a more serious situation on her hands than she had originally thought.

"I don't have a boyfriend. This is the second rose that I have received today and I have no idea where they are coming from." She reached out a trembling hand and picked up the sealed envelope that lay abandoned on her end table. She just stared at her name that was scrawled on the front before slumping onto her sofa.

"What is going on here?" Hermione asked to no one in particular.

Severus suddenly felt like a complete idiot. He had seen someone enter Hermione's quarters and he had assumed the worst of her.

"Hermione…I…uh…" She looked up at him with those big brown eyes and Severus felt his insides twist. He couldn't bring himself to tell her that he had seen the person that was responsible for causing her such distress.

"What is it, Severus?" His name sounded so sweet on her lips and he had a hard time suppressing a groan.

"Nothing, what does the note say?"

_Coward._

"I don't know if I even want to read it." She let out a harsh laugh. "It could be nothing, I mean I have gotten fan mail before but I feel uneasy about this letter. Somehow, this is different." She took a deep breath and flipped the letter over to break the simple seal. Before she pulled out the single sheet of paper, she surprised Severus by laying a hand on his arm.

"Will you stay with me?"

"What do you mean?" Severus couldn't trust himself to believe what he had just heard.

"I mean, I don't want to read this alone. Just in case…I don't know. I just feel safe when you are around." Hermione covered her mouth with her hand. She couldn't believe that she had just said that. She was being far too open with him. Her straightforwardness was sure to turn him off.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. You don't have to stay and humor me; I know you probably have more important things that you could be doing."

Her eyes widened in disbelief when he sat down next to her on her sofa and softly said, "I am not going anywhere. Open the letter."

Hermione nodded and pulled out the single sheet of paper, knowing that she could face anything as long as she had Severus by her side.

* * *

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed the latest chapter! Thanks so much for all of the reviews left, you guys make me smile!

Please continue to read and review! You all make my day!


	5. Fantasy Revealed

A/N: I own nothing and am making no money off of this little fic...

Lemons here :) If it's not your thing, don't read!

* * *

It was a moment before Hermione was able to look down at the piece of wrinkled parchment in her hands. She cast a nervous glance at Severus, who seemed unfazed by the situation, and at his encouraging nod began to read the letter.

_My dearest Hermione,__It has been too long since I have had the pleasure of seeing you face to face and I am feeling bereft at the thought of postponing our glorious reunion. I will have to sustain myself on the small glimpses I have gotten of you in the past few days. __You see, I have been watching you to make sure that you are happy and well. You seemed distracted this past week and I was worried. __I hope that you have enjoyed the flowers that I have left for you; they were a gift to make you smile after the stressful week that you seemed to have had. The roses remind me of you, and in a small way, you possessing the flowers make me feel close to you.__However, there is a certain issue at hand that must be brought to light. I am a very possessive man and I have noticed that a certain Potions master has caught your attention. This CANNOT go on.__You belong to me, dearest Hermione, and it must stay that way. It is my name that you should be calling out as you pleasure yourself in your rooms. Oh yes, I know who you desire. It broke my heart to hear you scream Severus's name as you came last night. However, I'm sure you had no intention of hurting me so I will forgive you this time; just make sure that it never happens again.__Alas, I must end this letter as I have some pressing matters to attend to. I hope that we will be together again soon, my love. Do not despair for I will be watching you to make sure that you are happy. Await my next gift for I am sure that you will love it._

Hermione began to shake as she read the letter once again. She flipped the parchment over to see if he had left some kind of signature. It appeared as if she would not be that lucky. She couldn't believe it, the man was clearly insane and he fancied himself in love with her. Great.

She blushed to the roots of her hair as she read, once again, how the man had heard her scream Severus's name as she climaxed the night before. So, the feeling that someone was in her room last night had been genuine. She cursed Severus's bad timing once again. He just had to be around as she received the letter and she had foolishly asked him to stay as she read it.

Idiot!

There was no doubt in her mind that he had been reading the letter over her shoulder and Hermione shuddered to think what Severus thought of her now. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and saw that his lips had formed a thin line and his nostrils flared as if he was trying to contain his fury.

She decided she had to break the silence; otherwise they would never be able to talk again, thereby ruining all chances she had at forming a friendship or something more.

"Severus…" She was cut off as he ripped the parchment from her hands. Hermione flinched at his sudden movement. He stood and began to pace back and forth in front of the sofa where she still sat, slightly stunned. He finally came to rest right in front of her, fixing her with his most intimidating gaze as if daring her to lie to him.

"Is it true?"

"Which part?" Hermione didn't know what came over her, but she didn't want to tell him that she had been fantasizing about him while she bathed. All of the courage that she had mustered up flew out the proverbial window as she gazed into his black eyes. She just couldn't stand to be on the receiving end of his scorn and derision; which is exactly what she would get if she were to tell him that she wanted him as something more than just a colleague.

"You know damn well which part I am referring to. For Merlin's sake, Hermione! We have been avoiding each other all week and then you get a letter like this. This man is obviously obsessed with you and he sees me as competition. Why?"

Hermione finally felt something other than fear and trepidation towards the man standing in front of her. How dare he interrogate her like that! He had no right to stand there, demanding that she reveal her deepest secrets when he had offered up nothing to ease her revelation. Her anger propelled her from the sofa and brought her toe to toe with the formidable Potions master.

"How dare you ask me something like that! I have no idea what is going through that mad man's mind so how could I know why he sees you as some kind of competition." She pushed on his chest with her index finger to emphasize her every word. "I just got a letter from a man who is clearly out of his mind. He thinks that he owns me, and I don't even know who he is! I think that this situation runs a little deeper than my feelings for you!"

"Is that how you are going explain a certain part of this letter? Hmm? He obviously was watching you last night while you…were in your rooms…thinking you were alone…" His features softened considerably as he dropped the letter back onto the end table. His hand was steady and slightly cool as he reached up to tenderly cup Hermione's flushed cheek. "Were you thinking of me last night? Was what he said true?"

"Severus, how can you think about that now? I have a serious problem here." Her voice lacked conviction and Severus took that as his cue to press on.

"First things first, Hermione. Was what he said true?"

Hermione turned her face away from his ardent gaze only to have her chin forced back up to meet his eyes. He would not let her get away with lying. She knew that he could look into her mind and see the truth, so she might as well tell him and get it over with.

She brought up her hand to cover his and she leaned into his touch. She raised her lashes, looked into his black eyes and simply said, "Yes. What he wrote in the letter was true."

His grip on her cheek tightened a fraction and suddenly he was kissing her with such passion that Hermione felt her knees buckle. Severus's free arm went around her waist, to hold her up, as he plundered her mouth with his unrelenting tongue. This kiss was vastly different from any other kiss she had received in her past. It was brutal and earth shattering; there was no tenderness or coaxing; there was just pure passion.

Severus simply took charge, moving her head to just the right angle to deepen the kiss and to fully explore the depths of her mouth. He slowly began to back her up towards the sofa and it wasn't long before she was stretched out underneath his lean body. His kisses were like a drug and Hermione could feel her mind clouding over with desire.

A tiny corner of her mind screamed in protest, but it didn't take much to silence her good girl conscience. Hermione was due to have some fun and damn it, she wanted Severus. If the way his lips attacked her exposed throat were any indication, then Hermione was fairly sure that he wanted her too. It was time to let her hair down and just go with the passion that filled her to the brim.

She looped her arms around his neck and brought his talented mouth back up to hers. She loved the feel of his lips against hers; his taste was utterly intoxicating. She couldn't seem to get enough of it. She pushed her own tongue into his mouth, running the muscle along the roof of his mouth, causing him to moan with extreme pleasure.

Severus couldn't believe what was happening. He was snogging the woman of his dreams and she was responding in kind. She was not repulsed by his advances and her reaction to him fueled his already heated desire for the woman. It was almost too good to be true.

Sure, a psycho stalker brought them to this, but one could worry about the minute details later. He had a willing witch in his arms, literally panting for his touch, so who was he to turn her away. He was only a man after all. It was only a slight tugging on his conscience that made him release her swollen lips and look into her lust filled eyes.

"Hermione, are you sure? We can stop if you want…" _Please, Merlin, don't say stop!_ "I don't want to make you do anything you don't want to." He was rewarded when she smiled seductively and began to lower the zipper on her light green jumper. Severus's mouth went suddenly dry as he took in her black lace bra.

Her creamy flesh was straining against the material as if begging him to release it. She gracefully shrugged out of the jumper and began to undo the buttons on his simple frock coat. Severus couldn't believe that anyone could look so erotic while unbuttoning a shirt. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow under her head, her skin had taken on a slight blush right above her tantalizing cleavage, and her back was arching up as if she couldn't wait to touch him.

"I've had enough of fantasies," her voice was soft and sultry as it flowed over him, "I want to know what you feel like…for real." Her words went straight to his throbbing cock and he muttered a spell that would rid himself of his tight shirt. He wanted to feel her soft skin on his.

Hermione ran her fingers across his chest, tracing the tiny scars that marred his otherwise perfect flesh. He hissed in pleasure when her index finger came into contact with his nipple. She smiled at his reaction and decided to torment him further by leaning forward, and covering the pebbled nub with her mouth. She flicked her tongue over it and he roughly grabbed her hair, effectively dragging her head back up to meet his crushing kiss.

Severus let his hand run down over her breasts, her quivering stomach to the clasp of her Muggle jeans. With a flick of his fingers the button slipped from its hole and he was free to explore her wet heat. She was already dripping with need and he groaned into her mouth as he deftly slipped one long digit into her welcoming femininity. Hermione clenched her muscles around his finger to urge him to add more friction. She purred beneath him and Severus vowed that this would not be the last time he heard her make that sound.

He pushed a second finger into her and smiled as she bit his lower lip in encouragement. Her hands were thrown over her head; her fingers clenched at the pillows as she tried to find some solid ground. She ground her head into the sofa as Severus found her swollen clitoris and rubbed his thumb against the sensitive flesh.

"Come for me, Hermione. I want to hear my name on your lips." His erotic words, combined with the thrusting of his fingers inside her, pushed Hermione to the edge. Her body began to writhe under his careful ministrations as she felt the pressure building to a point where she could no longer hold back. She fell off the cliff as he fastened his lips around her nipple and tugged on her with sweet tenderness. She started to clamp around his fingers and his name was a low moan that was stifled against his bare shoulder.

It took her a moment to regain her senses as she came down from her most powerful orgasm ever. Her chest heaved with each breath as her body continued to hum with aftershocks. "Merlin you are good at that." She smiled up at Severus while he drew lazy circles on her belly with her own juices. The heat in her belly began to build again as he continued to massage her responsive flesh. This time, his fingers would not be enough. She had to feel him deep inside her.

She pushed him up into a sitting position and extricated herself from his grasp. He frowned slightly only to chuckle as she proceeded to push her jeans off her hips so she was standing in front of him in nothing but her lacy bra and matching silk knickers. She turned and began to walk into the bedroom while he just stared at the lovely picture she made.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder she gave him her most seductive smile. "Aren't you coming?"

Severus cocked an eyebrow and gave the witch a lopsided grin. This night was surely turning out much better than he had imagined.

"Always."

Severus left his place on the sofa; shed the rest of his clothing and strode, naked, into Hermione's bedroom. He smirked as he took in the witch reclining on the plush pillows. She looked like a spoiled pasha with a sexy, knowing smile on her swollen lips. She had enchanted a few candles to hover around the bed so she was cast in a soft, golden glow.

Severus had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life, and she was all his.

"Tell me what you want, Hermione."

Hermione suddenly had a flash from the dream she had earlier. It seemed as if he had read her mind and was playing it out as she had imagined it. She began to chew on her lower lip before reaching out a hand toward him.

"Take me, Severus. Make me yours; I need to feel you inside me this time." Severus wasted no time in climbing onto the wide bed and pinning her wrists on either side of her head. Ever so slowly, he lowered his head over hers to brush his lips across her trembling mouth. He was not going to rush; he had all the time in the world to make her scream in ecstasy.

She deserved to be cherished. He lovingly kissed each of her eyelids, the tip of her nose, her dainty chin before dropping down to press an open mouthed kiss to the place where her succulent neck met her shoulder. She shuddered and ran her fingers through his silky hair to massage his scalp as he continued his way down her chest. Severus knew that he had found one of her pleasure points; he made a mental note to pay more attention to that specific part of her beautiful anatomy later.

"Severus, please! I can't take much more."

"Oh, but there is so much more." He continued his sweet torture down her body until he was able to pull one of her nipples into the tight heat of his mouth. He laved her, pulling on her tender flesh, until she begged him to come into her. He was almost at his breaking point, so at last he conceded and pushed into her with one swift thrust.

They moaned in unison at how perfectly they fit together. Severus supported his upper body with his sinewy arms so he was able to look into Hermione's face as he took her. She clasped her hands on each side of his face and looked deep into his eyes as he began to move.

His thrusts were tentative at first so she could become accustomed to his size, but soon his slow rhythm was not enough. Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist and urged him to move faster and harder; she was so close. The sound of their sweaty, naked flesh sliding together was so erotic that Hermione nearly came right then.

Severus could feel Hermione's muscles clamp around him and he knew that she was almost there. He felt the tingling heat at the base of his spine and with a few harder, demanding thrusts; they both came screaming each other's names.

Severus collapsed on top of his lover and breathed in the sweet scent of her hair deep into his starved lungs. He made a move to shift his weight off of Hermione, but she wrapped her arms around him and kept him where he was.

"I'm going to crush you."

"Don't move just yet. I love the feel of you on top of me." She held him tight for a few moments before he shifted to his back and pulled her across his chest.

"Aren't I crushing you now?"

"Not at all. You feel good right here." Hermione snuggled closer to his warm body, her hand rested lightly on his pale chest. She could hardly believe that she just had sex with Severus Snape and yet she felt blissfully content.

"Will you stay?" Hermione felt him smile as he wrapped her in his tight embrace.

"I told you earlier; I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

"Damn fool woman! How could she do this to me?" The man's voice was no more than a low growl as he paced his small rooms. The tension and fury of the man was tangible as he violently threw a glass vase filled with black roses into the flames of the fire.

"She will pay…she will pay…"

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed the latest chapter! Thank you so much to all of you who have reviewed, it really means the world to me!

Keep reading and reviewing, you guys rock!


	6. The Beast You've Made of Me

A/N: Thank you to all of my faithful readers and your astounding response to my little story! You certainly know how to make a girl blush Your reviews made me smile and I thank each and every one of you who took the time to review; it means the world!

Also a huge thank you to my beta whose corrections and encouragement have made this readable! *Hugs and chocolate are in order for her stellar abilities* Any mistakes are strictly my own!

I own nothing and am making zero dollars as in nothing from this. WARNING...lemons ahead, if it's not your thing then don't read! Mature readers only, please.

Here is the next chapter...Enjoy!

* * *

The early morning dawned pale and dark. The storm from the night before had passed, leaving behind bleary, gray clouds hanging ominously in the sky. Every so often, small droplets of rain would patter against the glass window, creating a relaxing ambiance about the small bedroom. It was mornings like these that Severus treasured. It was very rare that he awoke with a smile on his face, but he was feeling particularly sappy this morning.

He was warm, he was sated and glad he didn't have to deal with any students today. Of course, the sleeping witch beside him could definitely have something to do with the smug look on his face too.

Severus found it absolutely amazing how different people could look while they were sleeping. He'd always wondered what sort of emotions would play across his face while he was dreaming and now, he was being granted a rare look at what Hermione Granger looked like as she slept.

Severus was lying on his side, propped up on his elbow, looking down at his young lover. He closed his eyes and savored the word…lover. He could hardly believe it and yet here he was, in Hermione's chambers with her sleeping peacefully beside him.

She was lying on her stomach, one arm flung over her head and the other seeming to reach out towards him. Her mass of curls tumbled down the bare expanse of her back and Severus had to resist the urge to reach out and caresses her smooth flesh. He didn't want her to wake up just yet, as he was enjoying watching her too much. He felt himself harden as he took in her slightly parted, swollen lips. A small smile graced his usually sullen face as he noticed the small love bite that she had on her creamy shoulder.

She was truly his.

Never before had Severus seen anything so beautiful. He thanked his lucky stars that he and Hermione were finally able to be together. He hoped that there would be many mornings like this in his future. He groaned inwardly as he remembered their tempestuous lovemaking from the night before. Who would have ever thought that the little bookworm could be so wanton in bed?

"It isn't polite to stare, Severus." Hermione smiled and slowly opened her eyes to see that Severus was indeed, staring at her. "Good morning." She curled her arm around his waist and pulled herself closer to him.

"Good morning, Hermione." He nearly gasped aloud when he felt her cool lips, the ones he had been fantasizing about mere minutes before, grazing his chest. Her dainty tongue flicked out to taste every inch of his exposed skin, causing Severus to moan with appreciation at the talented witch. His hands reached down to grip her hair as her lips moved over his taut abdomen. He couldn't believe what she was doing to him.

She continued her torturous journey down his body, yet she avoided the one area that Severus needed her most. He was hard and he wasn't sure how much more he could take. She took her sweet time trailing her hair over his hardness as she kissed his right thigh and then his left. He groaned in frustration as she licked her way up closer and closer to…

"Sweet Merlin, Hermione!" She had finally taken pity on her lover and taken the head of his cock into her hot, tight, mouth. He watched in utter fascination as Hermione took him fully into her mouth and down her throat. She saw him watching her with wonder, as she hummed her pleasure and reduced him to a mere bundle of nerves. The vibration from her throat only served to fan the flames of his already rampant desire.

She slowly pulled back and slid her moist tongue up his length before enveloping him in her throat once more. This time, she applied more pressure and suction on him and it wasn't long before Severus was bucking his hips into her mouth.

Hermione ran her nails up his thighs and across his stomach to intensify his pleasure. Severus was on sensory overload. The slight pain from her sharp nails on his skin, the feel of her soft velvet mouth and the slight tickle of her curls was enough to drive him insane with need.

"Come for me Severus…come…" Hermione's voice was slightly husky as she spoke. She blew hot air on his cock and smiled when it twitched in response. Once again she swallowed his length in an attempt to unravel him.

"Hermione…I…won't last…Gods!" Suddenly, Hermione was roughly pulled upwards and rather unceremoniously, flipped onto her back. She barely had enough time to register her new position before Severus plunged into her with one sure thrust. Her mouth became a perfect 'O' shape as she felt Severus fill her as no man had ever filled her beofre. She wrapped her arms around his frame and pulled his full weight down upon her. She relished the feel of his body against hers; nothing could compare to the feeling of softness against hardness, silky against rough, woman against man.

"I want to come inside you, witch." He growled in her ear as he began to move swiftly inside her. Severus knew that he would surely come before her so in an effort to prolong Hermione's pleasure, he reached a hand between their sweat slicked bodies and found her clit. He knew he had done the right thing when she closed her eyes and hissed in ecstasy. He tried to hold himself in check as his thrusts became longer and harder, but he soon felt heat suffusing his whole being.

"Yes…harder, Severus! Harder!" Her eyes flew open to meet his as he tilted her pelvis up to better meet his thrusts. She wrapped her legs around his slim waist and held onto him for dear life. She feared she would explode into a million tiny pieces if she let him go.

Severus continued to rub frantic circles on her clit and soon her walls were convulsing violently around him. As she screamed her climax, Severus finally let himself go with a scream that echoed hers, and was thankful he'd cast a silencing spell to mask their lusty cries. He spilled his seed deep within Hermione, groaning in contentment. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment as he regained his labored breath and tried to roll himself to one side as not to crush her with his weight. But she held him close and said in a voice that was almost begging and said..."No, don't move" as she held him closely in place. "Hermione, I need to move or I'm going to fall asleep."

"No you won't, you have too much adrenaline pumping through your veins." He could hear her smirk though he hadn't raised his head to look at her yet.

He inhaled the scent of her hair, her skin and listened to the sound of her breathing, as he felt himself finally come back down from his climax.

"What a way to wake up." Hermione was out of breath as she spoke and Severus smiled a satisfied smile that he could successfully sate the desires of a woman half his age.

"Indeed. It seems that you inspire me, Hermione." He rolled off her, yet didn't relinquish his tight hold on her. She landed with a plop against his chest. Using her hands to push herself up, she pushed her flyaway hair out of her face to better gaze at the man beneath her. He really was quite beautiful, in his own way.

With his dark hair, his alabaster skin, and his lean and wiry muscles he cut a very impressive figure. Not to mention the fact that his voice was like sex itself. She thought that she might drown in the passion that his voice alone could induce. Hermione felt lucky that she was able to see this more relaxed and passionate side to him. She was about to claim his lips in a searing kiss when she felt a pulsation of a different kind. Her wards. Someone was trying to get in.

She quickly rolled off of Severus, pulling the sheet with her, and grabbed her wand from the night stand. Clad only in her bed sheet, she crept around the edge of the large four-poster towards her bedroom door. She was suddenly grabbed in vice like grip and pushed back behind the bed.

"Stay down and out of sight." Severus hissed through clenched teeth.

He had put on his trousers before snatching Hermione away from the door. There was no way that he was going to let her get hurt. His own wand was drawn as he made his way out into Hermione's sitting room. He, too, felt the slight pulsation that came from someone trying to disarm the wards on the room.

It would only be a matter of time before whomever it was gained access into Hermione's quarters. Severus crouched down behind the couch and waited for the intruder to enter. If they happened to get in, they would be sorry. The portrait door swung open silently and Severus heard distinct footsteps climb through the portrait hole.

Severus silently cast a concealing charm on himself before he peered around the couch. His eyes were met with a strange sight. A small house-elf covered in a tattered burlap sack was placing black roses all over the far side of Hermione's sitting room. Severus slowly raised his wand and aimed it at the elf when Hermione appeared in the doorway; still only clad the royal blue sheet.

"What are you doing?" Hermione's voice was low and filled with determination as she raised her own wand towards the elf. "Why are you in my rooms?"

The elf spun around and dropped the armful of roses that she had been clutching. They fell onto the floor in a heap and the elf jumped back away from them. A sinister smile graced the thin lips of the creature as she spoke in a gravelly voice.

"Master is displeased with Mistress. Mistress will be sorry she crossed master, very sorry indeed." With a sudden snap of the elf's fingers, both Severus and Hermione were thrown backwards into the solid bookshelf. Books of all sizes toppled over them as their bodies slammed into the unbreakable oak. Another crack and the elf was gone.

Hermione pushed a rather thick copy of _Transfiguration Vol. 4 _and a Muggle version of a Thesaurus off her as she groaned at the bump that was sure to form on her skull. She cursed herself for her stupidity. She should have just hexed the damn elf, instead of demanding answers. She cast a worried glance over at Severus who was extricating himself from the avalanche of books.

"Are you okay, Severus?" He merely grunted and held out a hand to help her up. Once she was on her feet, Severus roughly dragged her to the couch and pushed her down onto it.

"Didn't I tell you to stay put? What the hell were you thinking, woman? You could have been seriously hurt from that damn creature!"

"Did you really expect me to just stay put? After everything that I have been through, I think I have the right to know who was trying to break into my rooms! Where the hell do you get off on telling me what to do?" Her hair seemed to bristle as she became steadily angrier. She pushed herself off the couch and stood toe to toe with him. She would not be badgered. Her scowl deepened as she saw a smirk flit across his face. "What?"

"It seems that we have come full circle on this, Hermione. Isn't this, after all, how we got started last night?" He crossed his arms over his bare chest and continued to smirk at the way she frowned.

"Don't try to change the topic!" She was on the verge of hexing the man when she saw his dark eyes dart back to the couch.

"Hm, it seems that our little friend left more than just those roses." Severus nodded his head towards the couch where another plain white envelope lay. Hermione spun around and just stared at the envelope.

"Why can't he just leave me alone? What have I done to deserve this?" She dropped her wand onto one of her end tables and walked over to where the letter lay. Before she could touch it, Severus grabbed her wrist and stopped her.

"Did you think to cast any detection charms on it?" She didn't have time to answer as he proceeded to mutter a few detection charms over the envelope. "It seems to be clean, but be careful as you open it."

"Why?" Hermione reached out and picked up the letter. Her name was scrawled on the front again, yet this time it seemed more harsh and spiky. Whoever wrote it had not been in a good mood.

_Great._

"Just be careful, woman. You exasperate me to no end." He moved to stand next to her as she quickly opened the letter. There was only a very short message this time.

_Hermione,_

_I told you to stay away from Snape! Why couldn't you listen to me? It would have been so much easier for us to be together and now it seems that you have forced my hand. _

_Be ready…_

There was no signature; indeed, there was no way to identify who was doing this to her. Hermione crumpled up the letter and threw it across the room. This couldn't be happening! She had survived the war with Voldemort, she had survived her training through University and yet the darkness in the world seemed unsatisfied with the changes that she had made.

"Damn it!" Hermione could feel tears welling up in her eyes and she unconsciously walked straight to Severus and wrapped her arms around him. She buried her face in his chest and calmed herself by breathing in his scent. His arms came around her and held her tightly for a moment before slightly pushing her away.

He looked into her tear filled eyes and decided on a course of action. This man was obviously crazy; he was not to be underestimated in any way shape or form.

"I think it's time we told the Headmistress what is going on. She might have a temporary solution while we figure this out." Hermione nodded her consent and walked into her bedroom to dress. She wasn't surprised when she felt Severus take her hand and draw her into the bathroom. "First a bath to clear out heads."

Hermione giggled as he tugged the sheet away from her naked body to gaze appreciatively on her once again. She, in turn, unbuttoned his trousers and they fell to the floor in a black heap.

"You always have the best ideas, Severus." He moved to envelop her in his arms once again.

"Indeed, I do."

* * *

"When did this start?" Headmistress McGonagall sat behind her large desk and stared at two of her most accomplished professors. She had been wondering when the two of them would finally admit to themselves that they were a good match, but she hadn't expected this.

"I received the first flower yesterday morning. Like I said, I thought it was just a prank from Harry or Ron." The Headmistress nodded her agreement. She had been their head of house for seven years, after all. "Then last night, I received the first note."

Hermione pulled the piece of parchment out of her pocket and handed it to Minerva across the desk. Minerva looked it over and her lips were pursed into a thin white line as she read the disturbing message.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say that Lockhart may have written this. It seems like his style of writing, but as far as I know he still hasn't recovered from his memory loss at St. Mungos. So, it seems we are back at square one for the time being. And the second letter came this morning?" Minerva noticed the slight blush that began to suffuse Hermione's cheeks and the way that Severus quickly looked down at his clasped hands.

_Well, there's an interesting development_. Minerva thought with a small smile.

"Yes," Severus spoke for the first time, "A house-elf that neither of us recognized broke into Hermione's quarters and left that note. We tried to stop her, but I underestimated the powers of the creature." He handed Minerva the second note and she once again pursed her lips as she read the few short lines.

"It seems that Severus is correct in assuming that you indeed, in danger again; I'm sorry my dear. You don't deserve this. Although, if I do say so myself, you have a rather experienced body guard on your side." Minerva laughed lightly as Hermione turned a delicate shade of crimson.

"Minerva," Severus began. He was silenced when the older witch held up her hand.

"Do not worry; this will not leave this room. When you two have figured out what is going on, we will discuss your…relationship. Until that time, our first priority is the safety of our Charms professor. I believe I may have a satisfactory solution."

Both Hermione and Severus sat up a bit straighter in anticipation of what the Headmistress would say.

"I know of a safe house that would do quite nicely until we figure out who is harassing you, my dear. Unfortunately, it happens to be in a Muggle village so you two will have to intimidate Muggles for a bit."

Severus shifted a bit in his seat at the thought of pretending to be Muggle, even if it was only for a little while.

"There isn't any place else?" Severus's voice was strained as he spoke.

"I'm afraid not. You two will leave immediately as we don't know when this man will strike next. I will find suitable replacements to take over your classes until this is resolved. Meet me in the Entrance hall in twenty minutes." With that, Minerva stood and ushered the two stunned professors out of her office.

The door shut with Severus and Hermione still staring at each other. Without a word they both turned on their heels and headed back to their quarters to pack.


	7. Understanding

Here is the next chapter! Sorry about the long wait, but now that school is over, I will have more time to write and post.

This chapter is very fluffy and it might be a bit OOC for Severus but given the situation I feel like it works. This is the last "fluffyish" chapter before the intensity begins so enjoy the lemony goodness!

There are lemons here so if you are not 18 then please do not read, thanks!

As always, I own nothing and I am making no money off of this fic.

Enjoy!

* * *

_She didn't want to die. That was the only thought that kept her rubbery legs moving. If she paused for a mere moment then the chase would be over and she would certainly be dead._

Keep moving, keep moving!

_Her legs felt ready to collapse under her at any second; her lungs were on fire with the need for oxygen and yet she pushed herself forward. She had to stay alive!_

_The trees of the Forbidden Forest seemed to be closing in around her. The farther that she ran, the darker it became. Soon it would be too dark to see at all and Hermione wasn't sure that lighting her wand was a good idea. The light would lead him right to her._

_She whimpered slightly as her leg muscles burned from over exertion. There had to be someplace that she could hide! Trying to outmaneuver her pursuer, she took a sharp right and slid down a steep hill that she knew would take her to a small winding creek. If she could cross that, then maybe she could make it out of the forest alive._

_She came to an abrupt stop at the bottom of the hill, tumbling over herself. Looking back she muttered a curse. He was standing at the top of the hill, smiling. It was just a game to him; a sick and twisted game in which she was the intended target._

_Forcing herself to move, she bolted across the small creek and headed for the more dense coverage of the trees. There was a small amount of light to be seen through the foliage and Hermione hoped that she could make it out alive._

_The air around her seemed to sizzle as dark thunder clouds began to blanket the sky, effectively blocking out any light that had been streaming through the thick leaves. A single bolt of lightning illuminated the sky for a brief moment and a boom of thunder shook the ground under her pounding feet, and still she continued to run._

_She hoped that he would soon grow tired of the chase and leave but that was too much to ask for. She had to rely on herself to get out of this mess._

_A light rain began to fall; the cool drops were like a godsend on her feverish skin. They helped her to push onward. The light was getting closer, only a few more…She heard the crunching of the branch mere seconds before she was wrenched backwards by a vice grip on her long hair. _

_Her sharp cry sounded loud in the otherwise quiet forest._

_Roughly she was whipped around and tossed to the ground as if she was no more than a rag doll. She landed on her side with a thud. She barely had time to crawl away as the man's wand was pointed at her chest. He began to laugh manically as the green light flared before her eyes…_

Hermione woke up gasping for air, clutching her wand tightly to her chest. Her face and body were covered in a fine sheen of sweat; the bed sheets were wrapped around her body, restricting her every movement. She fought for a moment before she realized where she was. Her erratic breathing slowed minimally when she realized that she wasn't in any immediate danger. She took a few deep, calming breaths and placed her wand back on the bedside table.

She was secure in her room at the safe house. It had only been a dream.

Carefully she extricated her sweaty body from between the rumpled sheets and fell back onto the plump pillows. She stared at the smooth white ceiling for a moment as if to reassure herself that she was indeed in her bedroom at the safe house.

Her hands were still shaking a bit when she sat up, raised her knees and wrapped her arms around them. The dream had felt so real; every blade of grass under her feet, the smell of rain on the soft earth and the terrible pain that wrenched through her head when the mystery man had viciously grabbed her hair.

Absentmindedly, Hermione threaded her fingers through her long, curly locks. She locked her fingers behind her head and put her head down on her raised knees.

"It was just a dream." Even though she knew that she had been dreaming, it still felt good to say it out loud. She sucked in a deep breath of air and pushed it out with a whoosh; she was finally starting to calm down.

Hermione was really getting tired of having such vivid dreams. It didn't matter how much sleep she got, she always awoke feeling as if she had run a marathon. She wished that she had thought to bring along a stock of Dreamless Sleep potion.

She raised her head and slowly made her way off of her bed. Hermione raised her arms above her head and arched her slender back to remove the kinks that had accumulated during her nap. It couldn't have been more than a few hours since she had dozed off so she decided that a walk was in order. It would do nicely to clear her head and she knew she could use the fresh air.

After arriving at the safe house, Hermione had chosen the first bedroom she came across to take a short nap in. Admittedly, she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before and then the incident with the stalker house-elf had left Hermione exhausted. She wanted to reach out to Severus but he seemed just as determined to find his own place to rest. Or at least that was what Hermione kept telling herself.

She didn't want to take in the possibility that he regretted what they had done the night before. He seemed very receptive to the idea of her as a lover and Hermione vividly remembered him telling her that he wasn't going anywhere.

But ever since arriving at the safe house, he had seemed distant and unwilling to talk about anything that had happened. Hermione shook her head and proceeded to pull on a pair of comfortable yoga pants and a matching jumper. It wouldn't do any good to obsess over something that she had no control over.

She knew that Severus was a very private person so this was probably just his way of coping with their new living situation. Things would probably go back to the way they were once they both had time to process what had happened the day before. It was a flimsy excuse and Hermione knew it, but it was all she had to go on.

The door to her bedroom was already slightly ajar as Hermione pushed it open to walk into the living room of the house. On closer inspection, the safe house was really more of a cottage. There were only two small bedrooms with a connecting bath, and a living room with a connecting kitchen. It was nothing too fancy, but enough for two people to live comfortably with each other.

Unless those two people happened to be Hermione Granger and Severus Snape.

Everything in the house seemed to be a little too intimate. Sure, they had slept together a few times but that didn't constitute a full relationship…did it? Hermione was very confused. There were so many things whirling around in her head that she was going stir crazy.

From the letters and the man stalking her to Severus and their few encounters, Hermione needed a mental break from it all.

Running had always served to clear her head so she decided that a run down to the small pond at the back of the property would suffice. It was close enough for Severus not to worry should he come looking for her and far enough away that she could get in some decent mileage.

Her favorite running shoes were already by the back door as if waiting for Hermione to go out. She smiled as she pulled the laces tight and opened the door to breathe in the evening air. The yellow and orange sun was starting to fall in the sky, leaving the woods behind the cottage shrouded in eerie shadows. The trees had begun to loose their colorful leaves; the stone path leading down to the pond was littered with splashed of red and gold.

Hermione took in the beauty of the light and dark as she did her pre-run stretches. It was amazing how a place could house both so easily. She knew that she would be safe within the grounds as Minerva assured her the cottage was protected and yet it was slightly disconcerting to run right into the dark woods. It was too much like her dream to ignore.

It was almost enough to make her turn tail and run right back inside when her Gryffindor courage kicked in full force. She had never been scared of the dark before and she wasn't about to start now. With one final deep breath, Hermione started down the narrow stone path that lead to the pond.

* * *

Hermione had barely broken a sweat by the time that she reached to edge of the water. The sun was still peaking out from over the tops of the trees and Hermione was grateful for the extra light. The grounds around the cottage were really magnificent.

Deep green grass dotted along the pathway, bright gold and red leaves covered the tall trees, flowers still clinging to the edge of summer where in full bloom all over the forest floor and the sounds of nature filled Hermione's senses. The smells and sights were so comforting that she almost forgot about why she was there in the first place.

Small twigs and branches crunched under her feet as she made her way over to small wooden bench near the water's edge. A slight breeze wafted over her warm skin and caused a shiver to run down her spine. Gooseflesh broke out over her bare skin and Hermione ran her open palms up and down her arms in an attempt to warm herself.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Her wand was in her hand and pressed into a man's jugular in a few seconds. Hermione barked out a laugh when she realized that it was Severus who had followed her. She lowered her wand and took in his furious expression.

"You scared the life out of me!" She said, "Don't sneak up on me like that." Her wand was shoved roughly up her sleeve again as she walked over to the bench and sat down. Severus didn't move.

"I scared _you_? I think you have it backwards, my dear. I came out of my room and discovered that you were nowhere to be found. I thought that you had been taken, or worse." Hermione could hear the anger in his silky voice even though he never raised it above a normal speaking tone. Suddenly, he was in front of her and glaring down into her startled face. "You didn't think to tell me where you were going?"

"I was only gone for a few minuets, Severus. I was completely safe; I had my wand with me." Hermione couldn't see what the big deal was. She needed some air so she left for a bit. It was no reason for him to get his knickers in a twist.

"Of course you were safe." There was no mistaking the sarcasm that dripped off of his words. "No harm could ever come to the great Hermione Granger." He sneered down at her before taking the open seat next to her. He stretched out his long legs in front of him and crossed his arms in front of his chest as Hermione looked on with outrage.

"It wasn't like that at all, Severus. I needed to clear my head after everything that has happened in the past few days. If you haven't noticed, I have a man who is after me, a crazy house-elf who has been breaking into my chambers and a surly Potions professor who won't talk to me without being sarcastic." Her voice had progressively gotten louder over her rant and by the time she was finished her chest was heaving with pent up rage.

It was then that Severus reached a hand out, cupped it behind her head and hauled her forward into a bone melting kiss. It was not gentle or sweet, but all consuming and Hermione responded eagerly. All too soon he pulled away from the kiss and put some distance between the two of them.

There was a look of utter desperation in his unwavering gaze. He wanted her, that much was perfectly clear but there was something holding him back from showing his true feelings. Hermione could see the doubt and fear swimming behind his dark eyes; she didn't need to read his mind to figure that out. The anger that she had been feeling immediately dissipated and was replaced by the need to heal his pain.

Hermione slowly turned her body so she was facing him completely. She had to approach this as if she was dealing with a wounded animal and in a way he was. Her eyes never left his as she reached out to cup his face between her cool hands. He let out a breath and closed his eyes when she began to lightly massage his temples. The touch was too tender, her caress too intimate for his broken soul to bear.

He had been so afraid of losing her when he couldn't find her in the small house. His mind raced with thoughts of what could have become of her. Torture, rape and painful death all flitted through his overactive brain. It was only a coincidence that he decided to walk down to the pond to look for her. His heart had sped up at the sight of her doing her cool down stretches; much like it had that first night he noticed she was no longer a know-it-all swot.

That in itself had terrified him. It had been so long since he had felt that way about anybody and he knew that he didn't deserve this woman sitting in front of him.

The last thing he wanted to do was show weakness in front of Hermione. Her heart was still young and pure, she didn't have any darkness inside her and he would be damned before he tainted her. It was with that thought in mind that he tried to gently push her hands away from his face.

It didn't work.

She renewed her grip on his head, forcing him to look her square in the eye. Her eyes were full of hope and faith; the bottomless chocolate orbs holding his body and mind captive.

"Severus," her voice was soft, barely a whisper when she spoke. "I know exactly what you are thinking and it will do you no good." Her full lips tilted up in a warm smile that made his heart wrench in his chest. No one had ever graced him with such a genuine smile before.

"It will take quite a bit to get rid of me, especially now since I've had you." Her small hands ran through the strands of his hair, soothing his frayed nerves. It would be so easy to give into her words, her touch, but nothing ever came easy for Severus Snape. He was doomed to want what he could never have, desire that which he could never possess. He was almost sure that what Hermione thought she was feeling was just a phase.

There could be no other logical reason why she would willingly touch him when no other had ever done so.

"Severus, look at me." After a moment, he reluctantly raised his eyes to meet hers. "Stop this madness. How can you not see how much I want you? How can you not see how much I…" she swallowed visibly before continuing. "How much I _need_ you." Her voice was tinged with desperation and she gripped the strands of his hair tighter.

He brought his hands up to cover hers. Her body visibly relaxed under his touch and Severus was once again in awe of this woman.

"How can you want me, Hermione?" What do I have to offer you except a battered body and a lifetime of guilt?" The protest he expected from her died away when he slowly shook his head. "You deserve so much better than me. Your whole life is ahead of you and I was wrong to place myself in your life like I did."

He was stunned when she slapped him square across the face. His cheek burned where her palm had connected with it. Anger and fury were written all over her face as she leapt off the bench and began to pace in front of him.

"How dare you!" Her voice was steely in its conviction. "You think that you are the only one with any say in this then? You think that you can pat me on the head and send me on my way?"

By this time, Severus had risen to his full height in front of the trembling witch.

"Yes. I have the final say in this. You have no idea what you are doing in this situation and this infatuation you have with being my saving grace is unwanted." Of all the reactions that Hermione could have had to his little speech, laughter was one he did not expect.

Her head was thrown back, the long curls from her pony tail tumbling around her left shoulder as the rich sound of laughter poured from her lips.

"You expect me to believe that my attentions were unwanted? Was that before or after we fucked each other's brains out? Because I don't recall you complaining while I was going down on you." Severus's eyes narrowed dangerously when he took a step towards Hermione.

"Be careful what you say, Hermione."

"Or what, Severus? Don't you dare start treating me like some petulant, ignorant child because I am neither. I knew exactly what I was doing the night we were together and the morning after. I wanted it with every fiber of my being and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat!" Severus could see her eyes fill with tears as she let him have it. He hated himself for making her cry and he hated it even more that he cared.

She sniffed and wiped the tears away angrily before facing him again.

"I am not Lily Evans, Severus." His eyes widened in shock at her words.

"What did you say?"

"You heard me." She took a step towards him. "I know that you are saying all these things to try and drive me away, but it won't work. I am already too deeply involved to let you go now and you are just going to have to live with that. I won't walk away from you and I won't abandon you like so many others did in your life."

"You don't know what you are talking about. I happen to enjoy my solitude and you were just an easy way to pass the time." His heart broke as the tears began to fall freely down her pale cheeks. It was low blow and he knew it but he didn't know of any other way to keep her safe from his darkness.

A choked sob escaped her lips before she could stop it.

"Prove that you don't want me then."

"I beg your pardon?" Severus couldn't understand why she hadn't run away from him. What was the woman playing at?

"I said, prove that you don't want me and I will walk away. You can get a message to Minerva and request that someone else stay with me and that will be the end of it." The mischievous glint in her eyes gave him pause for a moment.

"What would you have me do?"

"Kiss me." She placed her hands on her hips in a defensive pose.

"You want me to kiss you? That will prove that I don't want you?" Severus was confused.

"A kiss is almost as intimate as making love itself. One kiss and I will know if you are lying to me or not." She said it all so clinically that Severus was sure that he could get away with it.

"Fine."

He wasn't prepared for the sensual way that Hermione sauntered over to him and he certainly wasn't prepared for her touch on his chest. Both of her palms were laid flat against his pectorals and already he could feel the stirrings of desire in his groin.

_This was such a bad idea! _He thought to himself.

"Kiss me, Severus." Her voice was husky and his cock hardened just by the sound of it. Without even thinking about it, he lowered his lips to hers. As soon as their lips made contact he was lost. His mouth slanted over hers and he devoured her lips as if they were his last meal on Earth. Her taste was something that he knew he could never give up and the way that she clung to his person like ivy was addicting. Her responses were not faked; they were raw and passionate.

She bit his lower lip to open his mouth. His surprised gasp was all she needed to slip her tongue inside the warm cavern of his mouth. He tasted like cinnamon and man, a combination that made Hermione weak in the knees. His arms had banded around her waist like a vise, holding her as close to him as possible.

If her mind wasn't so occupied with the feel and taste of Severus then she would have been crowing her victory over the man. She knew he had been lying! She wanted to jump up and down with the joy of it, but instead she deepened the kiss and moved her hands from where they were fisted in his coat to wrap around his neck.

The need for air had them pulling apart, gasping for breath. Hermione pulled his head down and rested her forehead against his, their breath mingling in the cool night air.

"Why did you lie?" The simple question was enough for Severus to feel the full weight of what he had said to her.

"I'm sorry." His words were soft but clear. He pulled her close again and breathed in the scent of her hair. "I don't know what else to say, but obviously I am no good at relationships or how to handle them. I just thought that I was doing the honorable thing by giving you a way out." He shivered when he felt her hands tighten around his neck. Her hold on him was possessive and he knew he would never grow tired of that.

"I don't want a way out, Severus. I just want you; let me show you how much." Severus let Hermione take a step away and take his hand. She smiled a knowing smile as she let him over to a grassy spot under the cover of the trees.

Darkness had fallen and the sounds of the forest settling and animals coming to life filled the air. Stars shone brightly against the inky black sky, all traces of the storm the day before were gone. It was perfect, a new beginning.

Hermione stopped when they were under the cover of the trees and once again reached for Severus.

"Here? Are you sure?" He let his hands wander down her trim waist to the flare at her hips.

"I'm sure. Let me make love to you, Severus." With that she pulled him down into another bone melting kiss. Her lips were soft and yielding under his, her hands gentle as she ran them up and down his back. She was determined to take her time with him, to show him how much she really cared and Severus was grateful.

She moved away from his mouth to trail kisses on both of his eyelids, his cheeks, his jaw and finally down to his neck. She kissed the spot under his ear that made him suck in a breath. He could feel her smile as her fingers slowly began unbuttoning his simple white linen shirt. When all the buttons were undone, she pushed the fabric from his shoulders and set about kissing every inch of his exposed chest.

His breathing was coming in short pants by the time she had reached his navel. Her agile tongue danced around his nipples and left a wet trail down his abdomen as she finally reached the waistband of his trousers. She smiled up at him coquettishly when her nimble fingers undid the fastening that hid him from her ardent gaze.

Gently, she lowered the zipper and blew on the bulge that was encased in emerald green silk. She smiled when she saw him twitch in response.

"Lie down." Severus complied with her wish as he removed his shoes and socks before stretching out on the grassy, forest floor. He watched with rapt attention as she pulled the hair tie from her hair and shook her head, letting her curls spill around her shoulders in wild waves. His breath hitched in his throat when she pulled the jumper over her head, leaving her clad in a modest black bra and his heart nearly stopped when she removed her pants and shoes in one smooth motion.

She really was quite exquisite, and she was all his.

Her eyes never left his as she slowly crawled up his body to remove the rest of his clothing. She grasped the loose edge of his trousers and slowly tugged them down his long legs, leaving him in nothing but his silk boxer shorts. He was a sight to see with his pale skin against the dark green of the grass and she drank it in eagerly. Hermione could not help the hum of appreciation as she unhooked the clasp in the front of her bra and let it drop to the ground.

"By the gods, you are beautiful." Severus grasped her upper arms and draped her over his chest to claim her lips with his. He deepened the kiss, sweeping the interior of her mouth with his agile tongue as she moved to straddle his hips with her thighs. She pressed her bare breasts into his chest and sensuously rubbed herself against him. The feel of his hard erection pressing into her softness felt so amazing that Hermione did it again and again until they were both panting with need.

Hermione sucked Severus's lower lip between her lips one final time before scooting down his body to remove his boxers with her teeth. Her lips grazed the tip of his cock as she pulled the silky fabric over his thighs and down his calves. He was groaning from the sensations as he watched her then remove her own knickers.

Once again she crawled up his body, dropping a loving kiss on the tip of his cock until she was poised over the top of him. She placed the head of his length just inside her throbbing pussy and held it there for a moment. Severus was gritting his teeth against the wave of pleasure that flooded his whole being at the mere touch of this witch.

"Severus, look at me." He raised his eyes to meet hers. She pushed down another fraction and moaned as his girth stretched her walls. "Feel how much I want you." She slid down further. "Never doubt how much I need you." She leaned forward to capture his lips with hers and slid down until he was balls deep inside of her. They both moaned at the contact. She held him there for a moment, felt his fingers flex on her hips before she began to move.

She kept her pace slow and drawn out. She wanted him to feel every shiver that went through her body as she milked him with her tightness and heat.

She gasped when he pushed on her back to bring her chest level with his face. He leaned up to draw her pebbled nipple into his mouth. She cried out softly as he laved the turgid peak and lightly bit down on it before once again soothing it with his tongue. She could feel the pressure in her lower belly build to a crescendo as she quickened her pace over him.

He continued to suck and nibble at her breasts as she angled her hips so the base of his cock would brush her clit on every down stroke.

"Severus…I'm coming. Come with me!" Her voice was desperate as she rolled her hips in a way that made his eyes roll in the back of his head. She squeezed her muscles around him and took his lips in a searing kiss.

All the gentleness was gone as she plundered his mouth and used his body to gain her release. She felt the pressure build and build until it exploded in a shower of heat and light. She screamed out his name as he continued to thrust through her orgasm. It wasn't long before he was shouting her name and releasing hot spurts of his seed deep inside her womb.

Hermione collapsed on his chest and his arms came around her back to hold her tightly against him. Both of their chests were heaving as they came down from the intensity of their shared orgasms.

Hermione lifted her head to look down into his face, searching for any trace of doubt. She saw nothing but acceptance and hope in his face. Her smile was radiant as she graced him with another kiss.

"Promise me you will stay this time." She quietly said.

He lightly kissed her again and whispered, "I promise."

It was good enough for Hermione. They were quiet as they slowly redressed in the darkness of the night. As they made their way back to the house, Severus reached out and threaded his fingers through Hermione's. He didn't miss the small smile that graced her lips at the gesture.

Tomorrow they would have to face the darkness that loomed over them, but for now, just being together was enough.

* * *

Let me know your thoughts!


	8. Take it All

A/N: Hi, everyone! I'm so sorry about not updating sooner, but a bad case of writers block was plaguing me for a while. However, I had some inspiration and came out with the next chapter.

Thanks to everyone who has stayed with this story through all my struggles, you all mean the world to me!. It will be completed soon!

As always, I own nothing at all; everything belongs to J.K.R. No money is being made from the writing of this piece.

Hope you enjoy!

Hermione awoke to soft sunlight spilling lazily into her bedroom and the cheerful chirps of birds that were flying by right outside her window. The blinds were closed just slightly so every once in a while a dark shadow with wings would fly past, giving her a glimpse of the jovial creatures.

For the first time in a long time, Hermione woke up content with her life. It didn't matter that there was a crazy man after her, because she knew that she would always have Severus there to make sure that no harm would ever come to her. She could feel him behind her; his steady breaths tickling the back of her exposed neck. One roll of her head and she was greeted with the sight of a sleeping Severus Snape.

He looked younger, with no lines of worry creasing his brow or his ever present scowl marring his features. Hermione sighed softly and disentangled herself from his many limbs so that she might rise from the bed unnoticed. She padded across the room to the bathroom and set about performing her morning ablutions.

Breakfast in bed for her surly wizard was in order, and she wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. He had been so tender the night before and she wanted to repay him in one of the only ways she knew how. Finished with brushing her teeth and washing her face, she dressed in a pair of her ever present yoga pants and a light blue tank top, making her way into the small but serviceable kitchen.

She eyed the icebox and hoped that everything that she needed would be in there. She didn't need much to make a serviceable breakfast, but she wanted to treat Severus to her cooking skills. Working and living at Hogwarts didn't afford her much time to indulge in her Muggle hobby, so she jumped at the chance to spoil herself. There had been no time to investigate the contents of the icebox yesterday, although Hermione was not complaining over how her afternoon and evening went.

A feeling of happiness washed over her as she recalled the tender way that she and Severus had made love out in the forest. It could not have been more perfect, and now she knew that Severus wanted her, and more importantly she knew that he was secure in the fact that she wanted him too; she knew that he wouldn't walk away without a good reason.

Hermione made her way over to the icebox to check that everything was in order when she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. In the center of the dining room table sat a tall crystal vase that was filled with lovely yellow tulips.

A moment of panic filled her as she thought that her stalker had somehow found them, but then she realized that he always sent a note with black roses. Why would he change now?

It didn't make any sense.

Cautiously, she walked over to the table to look at the flowers a little more closely. They didn't look dangerous, but she knew from personal experience that something that looked harmless wasn't always so.

As she drew closer, she caught the light floral scent of the tulips and she found herself breathing deeply of their beautiful fragrance. Almost as if she were in a trance, Hermione reached out a hand to gently trace the soft, inviting petals of the flower. If only she could touch…

Severus woke when he realized that he was in bed alone. The comforting warmth of the woman beside had vanished and he felt bereft at the loss. His old insecurities tried to rear their ugly head for a moment, but Severus pushed them down.

He knew that Hermione would not leave him for any malicious reasons. She probably woke early and simply didn't want to disturb him. He swung his long legs over the side of the bed and reached for his cotton sleep pants that had been carelessly thrown to the floor the night before.

Severus smiled when he remembered just how ardently Hermione had disrobed him when they returned to the cottage the night before. Gone was the tender lovemaking; instead there was a ferocity in Hermione's demeanor. It was almost as if she wanted to brand herself right onto his very soul so that he would never be able to live without her again.

With a sigh, Severus pulled on his pants and went in search of his witch. He walked out of the bedroom and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Hermione. She was walking forward as if she was stuck in a trance. His eyes darted to the vase of flowers that seemed to draw her in like a moth to the flame.

Her hand reached out towards the flowers…

"Hermione, NO!" He lunged forward to yank her away from the flowers, but he didn't move fast enough. Her finger traced the edge of one yellow petal and then she was gone.

The damn flowers had been a port key!

In a flash, Severus had reverted back to his old days as a spy for the Order. He would not think about Hermione in the clutches of whoever was mad enough to chase after her; he would not think about the possibility that he would never see her again, and he certainly would not think about how crushed he would be if anything happened to her.

Hermione was a powerful witch and he was sure that she would be able to take care of herself until he rescued her. And he would rescue her, of that he was certain. He had to because he couldn't imagine life without her now. He would not survive if he lost another woman that he loved to the desires of a mad man.

In a matter of minutes Severus was dressed and on his way to Hogwarts to confront Minerva. She had assured both Severus and Hermione that the cottage would be safe and that no one would be able to penetrate the wards. Neither Severus nor Hermione had used any magic so the stalker could not have traced their magical signatures in order to find them.

_How did the bastard find them?_

As an afterthought, Severus returned to the dining room to stare at the blasted flowers. How could something so simple cause so much distress in one person? Using his wand, Severus minimized the flowers and vase and placed them gently in a crystal potions vial. He thought that he might be able to use them in order to trace the fiend who had taken his witch.

He stopped dead in his tracks when that thought crossed his mind. In a moment of clarity, Severus realized that Hermione was_ his _witch. He realized that he would do absolutely anything to get her back safely. With renewed determination, he walked to the edge of the cottage's wards.

With a POP, Severus Disapparated to the gates of Hogwarts and quickly made his way to the Headmistresses office. Staff and students jumped out of his way for fear that he would hex them as he strode purposefully through the corridors.

It wasn't long until he reached the stone gargoyle that guarded Minerva's office. He barked the ridiculous password and stepped up onto the revolving staircase.

Severus didn't bother to knock before he flung the door wide open, causing it to crash against the stone wall. Minerva looked up in surprise to see her Potions professor standing in her office. It was clear to her that he was barley containing his fury about something and her stomach immediately dropped. Only one thing could have caused the look of utter rage on his face.

"When was she taken?" Her normally stern voice was laced with fear when she thought of Hermione in the clutches of that man.

"This morning. Apparently we were not as safe as we were lead to believe. Somehow, some enchanted flowers found their way into the dining room and when Hermione touched one of the petals she was transported to Merlin knows where." Severus was breathing hard by the end of his little tirade. He knew that it wasn't Minerva's fault that Hermione was taken, but damnit! He needed someone to take his anger out on.

"Calm down, Severus. You know we will never find her if we are all in hysterics. That is more than likely exactly what this man wants. We will find her, have no doubt about that. We will call the Auror office and get Potter and Weasly involved."

Severus sneered at that.

"You think that Potter and his infamous side kick will be able to do more than I can?" Minerva felt the color rise in her cheeks at his biting remark.

"Severus Snape, you will not raise your voice to me. I have known you for years, but you cross the line now. We need to get the authorities involved now that she has been taken. It will do you no good to insult one of the best Aurors at the Ministry and it will certainly not help us to find Hermione." She paused to take a calming breath and was slightly relieved to see Severus do the same. "I know that you care for the girl and I know what it means to you to get her back."

"You know nothing of how I feel, Minerva." Her knowing smile caused his ire to rise once more. Severus watched as the Headmistress moved around her desk to stand in front of him. She laid a comforting hand on his arm and gave him a knowing smile.

"I know more than you think, Severus." She stepped away from him and made her way over to the overly large fireplace that dominated one side of the room. Taking a handful of green powder, she threw it into the flames and called out, "Harry Potter's office!" Soon a floating green head appeared in the flames.

"What can I do for you, Headmistress?" asked the floating head of Harry Potter.

"Potter, I need you and Weasley to come through to Hogwarts. There is something we need to discuss." A look of confusion crossed the young man's face before he swiftly nodded his head and left the fireplace to go find his partner.

A few moments later, the flames in the fireplace turned a bright green as Harry and Ron stepped through the floo.

Harry looked worried as he crossed the room to where Minerva was standing. He didn't even notice that Severus stood in the corner with his usual sneer plastered on his features.

"Professor, what is going on? Has something happened?"

"Very astute of you, Potter. What gave us away?" Severus could not help the biting remark that slipped past his thin lips. They were wasting precious time. Who knew what was happening to his Hermione in that very minute?

"Severus, please! This is not the time for that." Severus crossed his arms over his chest and nodded his head to the Headmistress to have her continue. "We need the Ministry's help to find someone who has been kidnapped."

Instantly in Auror mode, Harry pulled himself up to his full height and proceeded to record everything that Minerva said.

"Of course. Who was taken and when were they taken?" It took a moment for Minerva to answer.

"Potter, perhaps you had better sit down."

"Professor, who was taken?" Harry's heart began to thrum in his chest when Minerva still didn't answer him. "Professor?"

"Hermione Granger was taken this morning to only Merlin knows where." She flinched when both Harry and Ron began firing questions at her.

"SILENCE!" Severus's raised voice ceased the inane questions of the two Aurors. Harry was the first to break the silence.

"Professor, tell us everything." Minerva began her tale of the letters that Hermione had been receiving for the last few weeks and the house-elf attack on her in her quarters. She, thankfully, left Severus out of the story for the most part.

As Minerva continued with what she knew, Severus slipped out of the office. He didn't want to waste any more time dealing with the dunderhead duo known as Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. If he was going to find Hermione, then he would have to resort back to his Death Eater days. He knew that it was considered illegal for him to do what he was about to do, but he didn't have any other choice.

He would do anything to get her back.

They were not dealing with any normal wizard, and Severus was not going to make the mistake of underestimating him. With a new determination putting a fire into his belly, Severus made his way to his private labs.

He was glad that classes were in session and that there were no students out and about to put him in a worse mood. He would need all of his concentration if he was going to pull this dark spell off.

Once he reached his labs, he slammed the door closed behind him and placed a variety of intricate wards around the room. It would do him no good to alert the Headmistress and the two Aurors in her office of his dark doings.

The work bench in his lab provided the perfect space for him to lay out all the necessary ingredients that he would need. The simplest of them was a piece of white chalk that he used to draw an intricate pattern onto the black top; the white of the chalk standing out in sharp contrast. Using his wand, he levitated the vial of minimized flowers into the center of the circle and magicked them back to their original size.

He was usually not one to condone foolish wand waving; however, desperate times called for desperate measures.

All the lights went out in the room except for the candles placed within the circle of chalk as Severus began to chant the spell.

"_Tenebris revelantur_!" All of a sudden, the candles extinguished only to flare to life again with more force. An image began to appear above the yellow tulips and Severus narrowed his eyes to make out the fuzzy picture. He doubled his concentration on the spell and soon the picture became clearer.

He could see Hermione tied to a large tree with her arms raised above her head. Her hair was in a tangle around her face and there were a few cuts and bruises on her exposed torso, but otherwise she seemed to be unharmed. Severus breathed a sigh of relief to know that she was alive. But alive for how long?

He tried to move the picture to get a better glimpse of where she was and who her assailant was. Suddenly a figure stepped into his line of vision, blocking Hermione from view. The figure seemed vaguely familiar to Severus, and yet he couldn't quite put his finger on who it was.

It was only when the man began to speak that Severus's eyes flew wide with shock. There was no way, but on closer inspection he could tell that he did indeed know who had kidnapped Hermione.

Once more, Severus waved his wand and repeated "_Tenebris revelantur!_" The image widened and Severus immediately knew where the bastard was keeping her.

In a flourish of black robes, Severus released the spell and stormed out of his lab to go save the love of his life.

A/N: Please review, they mean the world to me! And thanks to everyone who has already reviewed…YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING


	9. I'll Give You Everything I Have

Okay folks…this is it! The last chapter is finally up!

As always, I own nothing and am making no money off of this fiction.

Enjoy!

* * *

The climb out of consciousness was slow and arduous for Hermione Granger. Everything hurt; from the roots of her hair down to her bare feet, the dull ache of pain thrummed painfully along her nerve endings. She tried to clear her mind, but it was like sifting through warm caramel with a broken toothpick.

Where was she? Where was Severus?

She knew she was outside as there was a cool breeze ghosting over her bare arms, causing a chill to run down her spine. The scent of damp leaves and earth invaded her senses, cementing the fact that she was being held prisoner outside. She tried to move her limbs closer together for warmth but found that her arms and legs were tightly bound to something hard and unyielding.

She must have been unconscious for a while because her arms were beginning to tingle and ache from being bound for so long. She tried to adjust herself, but the knots were too tight; she was stuck.

Panic began to set in when all the scenarios of what might happen played through her head. Most, if not all of the scenarios ended with her being dead or worse. The thing that made her the most upset, though, was the fact that she might never see Severus again. They had finally connected in a way that made her believe that a future with him was possible, and it seemed as if fate had other ideas.

Why couldn't things work out for the best at least once? Hermione cursed her abysmal lot in life. No matter what she did, it seemed as if the universe had it out for her. The darkness of depression threatened to engulf her, but she wasn't a war hero for nothing. She had to be strong and brave; she had to get back to Severus.

Taking a deep breath to fortify herself, she finally opened her tired eyes. She was in a forest, though she couldn't tell what forest she was trapped in. It looked vaguely like the Forbidden Forest, but with such dense foliage blocking the light it was too difficult to tell. She craned her neck around to try and see more of her surroundings but found that she really couldn't move much.

A sharp pain radiated in her chest when she strained too far around and she gasped at the sudden sting. That must be where she was hit with the stunner spell; a flash of red light and she had collapsed. She remembered the flowers, so beguiling and beautiful, sitting on her dining room table. She remembered how tempting and inviting the scent had been, and the unbearable urge to touch them.

Her eyes narrowed when she heard a slight rustling of leaves; her captor must be coming back. The nervousness that wrought her body was soon assuaged with the knowledge that she would at last know who was doing this to her.

"My lady has finally awakened." Hermione cringed at the gravelly sound of his voice. It sounded so familiar and yet she couldn't place it.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"Oh, Hermione. I thought I made it quite clear what I wanted with all my gifts and letters." He sighed as if he was contemplating something vastly important. "I wanted to cherish you and love you like you deserved…but you had to go and ruin everything by taking up with that git, Snape." His voice turned from wistful to jealous so quickly that it made Hermione's blood run cold. She would have to tread carefully if she was going to make it out of this alive.

"Let me see who you are so we can talk about this face to face. It seems unfair that you know all about me and I know nothing about who you are." Hermione did her best to remain calm as she heard him make his way around the tree where she was bound. Her muscles ached from being held in the same position for so long, but she remained motionless.

When he finally stepped into her line of sight, Hermione was confused. He looked vaguely familiar and even though she wracked her brain, she couldn't place him.

He was very tall and thickly built with short dark hair and dark eyes. His skin was pale indicating he didn't see much sunlight. Hermione sucked in a breath when she saw Voldemort's Dark mark branded on his left forearm. Bile rose in the back of her throat at the thought of being held captive by a former Death Eater.

That thought should have been funny since she was, in fact, in love with a former Death Eater; however, this was no laughing situation. Severus was miles away and the chances of him finding her alive were dwindling.

"You don't recognize me, do you?" The sound of her captor's gravelly voice snapped Hermione out of her trance. His eyes met hers and Hermione felt a chill when she saw how dead his eyes looked. There was not a spark of life in them; it didn't bode well for how she would end up.

"Should I recognize you?" Her voice sounded braver than she felt. His lips twisted in an unfeeling sneer as he stepped forward. The sharp slap to her cheek was not unexpected but it still hurt like hell. Her head snapped to the side from the force of the blow.

"Bitch! You always were so damned high and mighty with your famous best friends and now war-hero lover. How dare you toss me aside like that! I should kill you for that alone; for spreading those pretty thighs for someone else." He stepped closer to her once more and Hermione cringed at his closeness. She could feel the rough fabric of his clothing abrading her tender skin as he pressed closer and closer to her.

"Why don't you tell me who you are?" She closed her eyes in mortification when he placed the palm of his hand against the center of her chest. She tried not to cry out as he moved his hand down between her breasts to her stomach. Tears began to prick at her eyes when she thought of what he might do to her. He dipped his head to her exposed neck and breathed deeply of her light and flowery scent.

"You smell so damn good. I could have you right here and now…and there is nothing that you could do about it." Hermione tried to move away from him and his wandering hands, but the knots binding her wrists were too tight.

She had to find a way out of this.

"You should know me, Hermione." His fingers began to knead the soft flesh of her belly and hips causing Hermione to whimper in protest. "We went to school together for nearly seven years and there was never a moment when I wasn't watching you and wanting you." He ground his lower half against her exposed stomach and she cried out in revulsion. Roughly, he gripped her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. He grinned maliciously as he violently pushed his own memories into her mind.

Hermione was assaulted with images of herself at Quidditch games and sitting at her house table with her friends. Her bushy hair was unmistakable, so even though many of the memories showed her from the back, Hermione knew that whoever he was had watched her constantly.

She watched herself grow older through his memories, and felt the underlying desire that accompanied each memory.

She had seen enough when she was shown a memory of herself jogging around Hogwarts at the beginning of that very school year. She watched as Severus gripped her arm and looked at her as if she was good enough to eat. She could feel the anger pulsing through the memory and wondered how she had never noticed that someone was watching her.

"Enough!" He pulled out of her mind and walked away to stoke the small fire he had started in the middle of the clearing. Hermione was breathing heavily as she digested everything that she had just seen. Almost every memory showed her from behind and there was only one house table that was behind Gryffindor…Slytherin.

So he was a Slytherin then; that made sense. She wracked her brain once more and recalled that Malfoy was with her mystery man on more than one occasion. Realization dawned on her and she gasped.

"Goyle?" She yelped when he sent a small stinger spell her way. It just grazed her shoulder but the white-hot pain radiated up her raised arm.

"My name is Gregory! Not that anyone ever called me that. I was just the stupid side-kick of the great Draco Malfoy. No one ever paid any attention to me; everyone simply thought that I was some big, stupid brute." He barked out a short laugh. "I'm actually quite clever. Came up with a few spells and potions myself, I did."

When Hermione didn't say anything, Goyle sent another stinging spell towards her. She groaned in pain as the streak of red grazed the side of her stomach, leaving a large red welt in its place. With his arms outstretched, Goyle advanced on her once more.

"Aren't you curious? What could the stupid, dumb, and illiterate 'Goyle' create on his own?" He smirked at her. "Those flowers in your little safe-house were dusted with a compulsion potion. It's why you couldn't resist smelling them. And then, of course, there were all those letters that I sent you. Each one was spelled with a simple locator charm so I always knew where you were. Brilliant, right?"

"I don't understand; why are you doing this? I never did anything bad to you. It was always Malfoy that we went after, never you personally…wait! I saved your life during our seventh year and this is what you do in return?" That comment earned her another stinger and she hissed in pain.

"I told you that I wanted you; that I wanted to be with you! I was prepared to woo you properly and yet you take up with Severus Snape...the greasy dungeon bat. How pathetic. I guess you were so desperate for attention that anyone would do." Goyle's comment hurt, but Hermione refused to let him see her bothered by it. She watched as he began to pace back and forth across the clearing. The minimal light that filtered through the dense foliage was fading fast and the air was cooling at a rapid rate. Each breeze that blew made her shiver and wish for warmth.

If Goyle kept her tied up then she would likely freeze to death and there was no way that she was going to let that happen. She decided to try a different tactic.

"I'm sorry, Gregory." She said softly. He whipped around to face her; too stunned to believe what she said.

"What did you say?" His voice was barely audible. She looked at him for a moment, and then ducked her head in mock shame. She heard him make his way slowly towards her. If she could convince him that she posed no threat, then maybe he would untie her and she could escape. She didn't know where she would go, but she had to try.

"I said that I was sorry…for everything. I should have seen that it was you from the start and I should have obeyed you. I'm sorry." She held her breath as she watched him from under her lowered lashes. Making him believe that she was contrite was most likely her best chance for survival. There was no way that Severus would know where she was and the chance of the Aurors finding her before anything happened to her was slim. She was on her own.

"Are you really sorry, or are you just saying that so I will un-tie you?" Hermione lifted her face so she could look into his eyes. She fought down the urge to gag as she looked into his dead, lifeless eyes. She had to make him believe.

"I am sorry. How can I make it up to you?" Goyle took one more step towards her and laid his large hands against her waist. The temptation to flinch at his touch was almost too much, but Hermione kept herself still. It wouldn't do to give herself away this early in the game. Just as he was about to lean in and kiss her, Severus appeared in a swirl of black robes at the edge of the clearing.

As soon as he laid eyes on them, his wand was out and he cast a spell that blasted Goyle away from her. It was a good thing that Severus was such a skilled marksman because he could have easily hit Hermione as well.

As it was, Goyle was launched across the clearing where he landed flat on his back with a muffled "oomph!" Too soon, he was up on his feet and sending hex after hex in Severus's direction.

"You bastard! You stole the woman I love from me, and now you think that you have the skill to finish me off? Think again, old man!" Goyle's anger was building as he dueled with Severus, but that was his weakness. With his anger came inaccuracy and he wasn't able to hit Severus even once.

"You should have taken dueling lessons with me in your second year, Gregory." Severus said as he blocked another stunner spell.

"Why's that?"

With a smirk, Severus had disarmed and put his opponent in a full body bind without even breaking a sweat.

"That's why." Severus pocketed Goyle's wand and slowly made his way over to where the young man lay motionless on the grass. His eyes were frantically darting back and forth as he realized he had been beaten.

"Severus?" Hermione's voice was soft and weak as she stared at him. It was over…she was safe. Her eyes began to fill with tears of relief as Severus quickly made his way over to her. The ropes holding her in place were dissolved with a wave of his wand and she immediately fell into her love's arms.

"You came for me! I can't believe you came for me!" She wrapped her still tingling arms tightly around his neck and began to sob.

"Always, my love. I would never leave you." His arms went around her, crushing her tiny frame against his much larger one. He had thought he would never hold her again; he had thought that he had lost her forever. The sight of her bound and bruised at the hand of one of his former students filled him with such an intense rage that he had never felt before.

He should kill Gregory Goyle for doing what he did, but the sight of Hermione alive and well was enough to keep him calm. He would let the young man spend the rest of his days rotting in a cell in Azkaban, though even that was probably too good for the dirty rat.

After a few minutes, Hermione's sobs subsided to quiet hiccups and Severus was able to properly look her over. Once he had assured himself that none of her injuries were serious, he conjured his Patronus to send a message to Minerva and Potter.

Hermione didn't leave the circle of his arms as they waited for the authorities to arrive. Not that he would have let her go, but she whimpered in protest each time that he shifted. She was afraid that she would lose him all over again. It wasn't long before a swarm of Auror's had the clearing surrounded. Harry quickly made his way over to the tree where Severus and Hermione were wrapped around each other.

"Hermione! Are you alright?" Severus tightened his arms around his witch when he felt her tremble. Harry's face was creased with worry as he quickly looked her over.

"I'm okay, Harry. Just a little in shock, I guess." She rested her cheek against Severus's chest and kept her arms firmly wrapped around his torso.

"I'm glad that you are safe, though I'm still trying to work out how Professor Snape located you before the Auror office." Harry cocked an eye brow at Severus as he waited for an answer. Harry wasn't stupid. He knew that the Potions Master had used a Dark spell in order to locate Hermione. However, Harry was more than willing to overlook the slight misuse of dark magic because it brought Hermione home safe.

"Intuition, Mr. Potter. It is a wonderful thing." Severus smirked at the boy when Harry chuckled. "Now, if you don't mind I am going to escort Miss Granger back to Hogwarts where she can get some rest."

"Of course." Harry turned his attention back to his best friend. "I will stop by the castle later this week to see how you are doing." Without a word, Hermione launched herself into Harry's arms and hugged him tight.

"Thank you." She whispered in his ear for only him to hear. Stepping back from his embrace, she gave him a small smile then grasped Severus's hand tightly. The pair of them walked to the edge of the clearing where Severus apparated them home.

* * *

The castle was quiet when Severus and Hermione walked through the front doors. It was past curfew so there were only a few Prefects and ghosts wandering the halls, but both of them preferred it that way. There would be a great fuss over them in the next few days, and right now they relished in the quiet.

They made their way to Hermione's quarters in silence; neither of them quite knowing what to say. Words seemed trivial compared to what they had both been through. Hermione was left with no doubt as to Severus's feeling for her. If he didn't love her, then he would not have come after her.

Severus was in awe of the strength of the woman that he loved more than anything in the world. She had come through hell as a teenager and he knew that she would come out of this experience even stronger than before.

Once they were safely inside her quarters, they each reached for each other. Severus held onto Hermione tightly; he never wanted to let her go.

"I love you, Severus." Her voice was quiet, but he heard her clearly. Her words warmed him, breaking down the last of his walls; opening his heart up to her and her alone.

"I love you too, Hermione…more than you could ever know." She tilted her up to look him in the eyes.

This man was part of her past and Hermione knew that he was meant to be her future. As she lifted her lips to his, she thanked the gods that he was hers.

In her heart, she knew that everything was going to be alright.

And it was.

* * *

So it is finally finished. I want to thank everyone who stuck with me for this story. I apologize for the horrendously long updates! But thanks to everyone who helped to keep me going on this story. Your reviews were my inspiration so keep it up! I love to hear from you guys!

Until next time…much love 3 3 XOXOXO - HunterLiza


End file.
